If there is one thing Michael Jordan is as famous for as his fadeaway jumper, it's his taste in cars. During the height of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, MJ had a legendary tradition: right before massive playoff battles or NBA Finals games, he would treat himself to a brand-new exotic car.For years, one of those cars—a red 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello with a tan interior and chrome Speedline wheels—was practically a ghost. It was famously photographed being driven by MJ after the Bulls secured the 1997 NBA Championship (just after the iconic "Flu Game"), but then it vanished into private collections.Now, thanks to the relentless obsession of the team at vintage supercar dealership We Are Curated, MJ's lost 550 has been found. And as they reveal in their incredible mini-documentary on YouTube, the story behind this car—and how they acquired it—is nothing short of cinematic.The Car That Inspired a Sneaker EmpireTo car enthusiasts, a front-engine V12 Ferrari with a gated manual transmission is already a holy grail. But to sneakerheads, this specific 550 Maranello is a sacred artifact.AdvertisementAdvertisementLegendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield used Jordan's love of sports cars as direct inspiration for his footwear. While the Jordan 5 was inspired by a fighter jet, the shoe MJ wore for his famous "Last Shot" to win his sixth championship in 1998—the Air Jordan 14—was directly modeled after this exact vehicle.As noted in the video by sneaker experts, "That 14 was created and inspired by his 550 Marinelo by this exact car that you have". The shoe features a badge mimicking the Ferrari prancing horse logo, vents styled like the car's intakes, and heel rubber mirroring a tire tread.The Ultimate Barn Find HuntTracking down a celebrity-owned car from the '90s is famously difficult. The search started with a rumor and a single forum post containing just the last six digits of a Ferrari VIN.After piecing together the full VIN, the team called a contact at Ferrari to check the registry. The response? The car was still registered in Ferrari's system to Michael Jordan and his custom "MJ 5" license plates.Determined to find it, We Are Curated sent a "barn find hunter" to live in California for weeks. He hit every mechanic shop in the town the car was last registered in, eventually finding a lead. After knocking on doors, visiting workplaces, and enduring a very angry phone call from the wealthy, secretive owner, the seller finally caved. He told them, "Originally, I was calling you to yell at you, but everything you did worked, and you got me".AdvertisementAdvertisementBecause the seller was so private, the team at Curated had to take a massive leap of faith. "We ended up paying a world record, um, and we hadn't inspected the car, we hadn't seen the car, we had no photos to the car. I didn't know what it looked like," they admitted.A Perfect Hollywood EndingWhen you spend record-breaking money on a blind purchase, you expect the worst. Instead, they hit the jackpot. The Ferrari arrived in pristine condition with under 18,000 miles.Even better? It came with a mountain of bulletproof documentation that is almost unheard of for celebrity cars. The team found a copy of the original Illinois title, the original tool kits, and the factory warranty booklet—which was personally signed by Michael Jordan himself, rather than a business manager or LLC.But the wildest part of the story comes down to pure serendipity. Without knowing the exact date Jordan originally bought the car, the Curated team arranged for the Ferrari to be shipped to Chicago for its grand reveal.AdvertisementAdvertisement"What we didn't realize was that when the car arrived to Chicago on May 29th, and the team was on the way to go shoot the car, what we didn't realize was that the day that Michael Jordan purchased this car was May 29th, 1997," the team notes.Exactly 29 years to the day after MJ took delivery of his championship present, his legendary 550 Maranello finally returned home to Chicago.