MJ's Ferrari 550 Is for Sale. It May Set a RecordJOOPITERDuring the historic fifth and sixth championship runs for the Chicago Bulls, star player Michael Jordan showed up driving one of Ferrari's best GT cars.Out of sight for decades, the bright-red 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello has now turned up for auction, complete with its "MJ 5" vanity plate.This car also inspired the 14th edition of the Air Jordan basketball shoe, with Ferrari-like Jumpman shields and a tire-tread pattern.Any sharp-eyed fan watching the ESPN documentary, The Last Dance, would have clocked that shooting guard Michael Jordan had some pretty great taste in cars. MJ loved a Corvette and a Range Rover, but he was also a fan of a tastefully optioned Porsche 911. Can you pull off a 993-chassis air-cooled 911 Turbo S with the vanity plate AIR? You can when you're Michael.Being six-foot-six means Jordan needs a little space to stretch out after a game, which is why, in 1997, he ordered a specially prepared Ferrari grand tourer. Delivered just in time for taking a victory lap after winning his fifth NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls in June of that year, it's a 1997 550 Maranello in red over tan. You can spot it in The Last Dance, rolling out of practice in January of '98.JOOPITERAll by itself, a 550 Maranello is one of the great Ferraris. It pairs the muscular spirit of the earlier 365 GTB/4 Daytona with a more modern chassis and very quick steering. You get all the modern conveniences, but at its heart, it's still a lusty 485-hp Ferrari V-12 with a gated manual shifter. Clutch work from Jordan as usual.AdvertisementAdvertisementAlso part of the 550's appeal is its understated elegance, and this example is no exception. Jordan spec'd it without the yellow Ferrari fender shields, and while you can't really fly under the radar in a bright-red Ferrari, it's pretty understated. Unique modifications are restricted to the interior, with Ferrari fitting longer chair rails and slimmer seat padding to better fit Jordan's frame.JOOPITERAfter faithfully serving him for several years, this car was sold off at the end of 2002. From there, it basically disappeared, only emerging again this year after a long hunt. It's been driven sparingly over the years and has just under 19,000 miles on the odometer.Being part of the fifth and sixth championship wins, this Ferrari is not just a collector car, but also partly a piece of sports memorabilia. It also has the distinction of inspiring one of MJ's signature shoes, the Air Jordan XIV, sketched out by Nike VP of Design Tinker Hatfield. The shoe incorporates a Ferrari-like yellow-and-black Jumpman logo, and the sole of the heel is patterned like a tire tread.JOOPITERJordan's Maranello is being auctioned off not by one of the usual automotive specialists, but by Joopiter, a platform that ordinarily sells sports collectibles. It was founded by singer Pharrell Williams, and this is its first time auctioning a car, in partnership with auto specialist Curated. Ordinarily, a game-worn jersey doesn't come with a V-12 installed.AdvertisementAdvertisementJust how much the Jordan provenance adds to the eventual hammer price of this car will be interesting to see. A delivery-mileage 1998 Maranello sold for a record-setting $650,000 just last month, but projections are above that figure just to start.How high could the bids go? Over $1 million? Well, we're talking Michael Jordan here. He made a career out of proving the sky was no limit.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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