Michael Jordan’s 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello has resurfaced after spending nearly 24 years out of public view. Jordan sold the red Ferrari through an Illinois dealership in December 2002, after driving it during the final championship years of his Chicago Bulls career. For years, its whereabouts remained unknown, turning the car into one of the better-known missing celebrity Ferraris. Its trail was eventually picked up through a partial chassis number found on an old online forum, which helped researchers identify the car and trace it to California in 2026.
How Michael Jordan’s Ferrari vanished for 24 years
The story began on 29 May 1997, when Jordan took delivery of the Ferrari 550 Maranello through Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro, North Carolina. The JOOPITER account of the car records chassis 108712 as having been delivered to Jordan on that date, with the factory warranty booklet still carrying his signature and Durham, North Carolina address.Just over two weeks later, the Ferrari became part of one of the most recognisable scenes from Jordan’s final championship years. On 13 June 1997, he won his 5th NBA title with the Chicago Bulls. Later that evening, he was photographed leaving the United Center in the Ferrari, with a cigar in one hand and the championship trophy in the car.The Ferrari was finished in Rosso Barchetta with a tan leather interior, chrome wheels and an Illinois registration plate reading MJ 5. According to JOOPITER, Jordan used the car for trips to Bulls home games, practices and public appearances, putting roughly 6,400 miles on it during his ownership.
The 550 Maranello had a distinctive connection to Jordan
The car was also special because Ferrari had made changes to accommodate Jordan’s 6ft 6in height. JOOPITER says the seating position was modified, with the seat rails adjusted and the padding reduced so that Jordan could move the seat further back.The Ferrari itself was an important model for the Italian manufacturer. As Classic Driver explains, the 550 Maranello represented Ferrari’s return to a front-engined V12 grand tourer after more than two decades of mid-engined flagship models. Its naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V12 produced 485 horsepower and was paired with a six-speed manual gearbox in Jordan’s car. Only 3,083 examples were built, according to Classic Driver.Its connection with Jordan eventually reached beyond cars. AutoGuide reported that Nike designer Tinker Hatfield used the Maranello as a design reference for the Air Jordan XIV. Elements including the quilted leather pattern, side vents, tyre-inspired details and the Jumpman badge placement drew from Ferrari’s styling.Jordan later wore the Air Jordan XIV during Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals against Utah. JOOPITER notes that he hit the title-winning shot with 5.2 seconds remaining, securing his 6th championship and his final basket as a Chicago Bull.
What happened after Jordan sold the Ferrari
On 4 December 2002, Jordan sold the Ferrari through Lake Forest Sportscars in Illinois. That transaction marked the beginning of its long disappearance from public view.For nearly a quarter of a century, there were no confirmed public sightings of chassis 108712. ItalPassion reports that the Ferrari remained absent from the public eye for more than 20 years, while AutoGuide says its disappearance gave the car an almost mythical status among collectors and automotive archivists.
An old forum post finally provided the missing clue
The search eventually became a long-running investigation led by John Temerian, co-founder of CURATED. According to JOOPITER, the effort lasted around a decade before a breakthrough came from an unlikely place, an old online forum.A partial chassis number found in the forum allowed researchers to reconstruct the Ferrari’s full vehicle identification number. They then compared that information with Ferrari’s historical dealer records. Those records still connected chassis 108712 with Jordan and the MJ 5 registration plate, providing an important link between the missing car and its former owner. The investigation eventually led CURATED to a long-term owner in California who had kept the car away from public attention.
Image Credit: JOOPITER
The Ferrari returned to Chicago in 2026
Temerian eventually acquired the Ferrari without seeing it in person, according to JOOPITER. On 29 May 2026, exactly 29 years after Jordan originally took delivery, the car returned to Chicago.The rediscovery also clarified the Ferrari’s ownership trail. JOOPITER lists the sequence as Foreign Cars Italia, Jordan, Lake Forest Sportscars, a private California collection from 2002 to 2026, and then CURATED in Chicago.The car subsequently returned to public attention through JOOPITER’s Driven to Greatness sale. AutoGuide reported that the auction marked the first public appearance of chassis 108712 in more than two decades. The Ferrari was offered alongside Jordan’s game-worn jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals.JOOPITER estimated the Ferrari at between $700,000 and $1.3 million for its September 2026 auction. That valuation reflects a car with a documented connection to Jordan, rather than simply another 550 Maranello from the same period.
