Michael Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello is heading to auction, and it is far more than a famous athlete's old Ferrari. JOOPITER will offer chassis 108712 online from September 15 through September 30, 2026, with bidding expected to fit somewhere between $700,000 and $1.3 million. The sale opens September 15 at 3 p.m. GMT+1 as part of JOOPITER's first collector-car offering with CURATED.The reason this particular 550 is such a story is down to how it reflects such a massive part of Jordan's cultural legacy. Nike designer Tinker Hatfield used the Ferrari as the visual starting point for the Air Jordan XIV: the shoe Jordan wore for his iconic 1998 NBA Finals "Last Shot."The Ferrari Behind the Air Jordan XIVDelivered to Jordan on May 29, 1997, by Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Ferrari is finished in Rosso Barchetta with a tan-leather cabin and chrome Speedline wheels. Its Illinois vanity plate read "MJ 5," a little bit of automotive personalization that left very little doubt about who owned it.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe timing was perfect. After Chicago defeated Utah in Game 6 of the 1997 Finals on June 13, Jordan was photographed leaving the United Center in the Ferrari. He used the car during the closing years of his Bulls career, taking it to games, practices, and public appearances. JOOPITER says approximately 6,400 of the car's current 18,501 miles were driven during the sportsman's ownership.Hatfield used several elements from Ferrari into the design of the Air Jordan XIV. This included surfaces reminiscent of quilted upholstery, side vents, a heel design resembling tires, and a Jumpman logo shaped like a shield, echoing the iconic prancing-horse emblem of Ferrari. Jordan debuted the shoe in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals against Utah. With 5.2 seconds left, he hit the basket over Bryon Russell to put Chicago ahead 87–86 and secure the Bulls' sixth championship."The Air Jordan 14 was inspired by his Ferrari, a powerful race car that doesn't sacrifice grace and beauty. So when we developed the story for the 14 based on MJ's Ferrari, he loved it a lot. He saw himself in it, almost like a metaphor or a symbol of his game," Tinker Hatfield, Nike footwear designer, said in an interview in 2015.Even without the connection to Michael Jordan, the Italian supercar is one hell of an offering.AdvertisementAdvertisementFerrari brought back the front-engine V12 grand tourer with the 550 Maranello after spending two decades enjoying mid-engine flagships. Its Tipo F133A engine displaces 5,474 cc, uses a naturally aspirated 65-degree V12 layout, and produces 485 hp, or 357 kW, at 7,000 rpm. Power reaches the rear wheels through a six-speed gated manual, while Ferrari quoted a 320-km/h, or roughly 199-mph, top speed. Ferrari built 3,083 examples from 1996 through 2001.A Missing Ferrari Returns to ChicagoJordan sold the car through Lake Forest Sportscars in Illinois on December 4, 2002. It then spent the next 24 years in a private California collection before CURATED brought it back into the public eye in 2026.According to the JOOPITER and CURATED account, co-founder John Temerian spent a decade tracking down the car. A partial chassis number found on an old online forum led researchers to the complete VIN, ZFFZR49A2V0108712.Ferrari dealer records still connected chassis 108712 to Jordan and the MJ 5 plate, eventually leading the team to the car's California owner. Temerian purchased the Ferrari without seeing it in person, and it returned to Chicago on May 29, 2026, exactly 29 years after its initial delivery.Its paperwork includes the factory warranty card, signed by Jordan and dated 29.05.97, with his Durham, North Carolina address. The lot also includes Illinois Certificate of Title T7219902013 in Michael J. Jordan's name, a signed title assignment with odometer certification, and Lake Forest Sportscars repair orders from March 2000 and February 2001 showing the MJ 5 plate. The factory card identifies engine No. 46060, while the listed provenance runs from Foreign Cars Italia to Jordan, then Lake Forest Sportscars, the California collection, and CURATED.AdvertisementAdvertisementJordan's 6-foot-6 frame necessitated a custom driver's seat with extended rails and slimmer-than-standard padding. The Ferrari also comes with its accessories and factory tools, with service records.A normal 550 Maranello is already a serious piece of 1990s Ferrari kit. This one links Ferrari's return to a front-engine V12, Jordan's final championship era in Chicago, and one of the most recognizable basketball shoes ever made. That combination is why the estimate is not merely ambitious. It is probably the least surprising number in the listing.
