Michael Jordan’s Long-Lost Ferrari 512 TR Has Finally Been Found — and It’s Worth a FortuneMichael Jordan owned a lot of things during the Chicago Bulls dynasty years. Championship rings, obviously. Signature sneakers that redefined an entire industry. And a black Ferrari 512 TR with a personalized plate reading "M-AIR-J" that became one of the most recognizable celebrity cars of the early 1990s – before disappearing entirely for the better part of 15 years.The car has now been tracked down by CURATED, a Miami-based vintage supercar dealership, after it turned up in a Los Angeles neighborhood that had been hit by the January wildfires. It emerged from a private garage with over 54,000 miles on the clock and a history that, even without the Jordan connection, would make it one of the more unusual Ferraris to come to market.What Makes This Ferrari Worth More Than Most HousesJordan took ownership of the car on February 29, 1992, acquiring it through a Ferrari dealership in Lake Forest, Illinois. He held onto it for roughly three and a half years before selling it in October 1995, a period that coincided with his first three championship titles won alongside the Chicago Bulls. One photograph in particular helped cement its status: Jordan stepping out in a suit and a Bulls cap outside Chicago Stadium during a 1992 playoff run, the 512 TR parked behind him. The photo took on a life beyond automotive circles, coming to represent a certain strain of 1990s extravagance executed with taste.AdvertisementAdvertisementGardner, the man who later bought the Ferrari from Jordan, is himself a remarkable figure – he overcame homelessness to build a career as a successful Wall Street broker, a true-life journey that inspired the 2006 Will Smith movie The Pursuit of Happyness. Gardner kept the Ferrari and reportedly drove it regularly, adding his own plate: "Not MJ." It sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County in 2010 for $61,600, then vanished from public record entirely.CURATED's search reportedly hit multiple dead ends before a single phone call unlocked the trail that led to California. John Temerian, co-founder of the dealership, said: "There are few moments in this business that truly give you chills. Everyone knew the plate. Everyone knew the legend. But no one knew where it went. Until now."As for the car itself, the 512 TR was Ferrari's refinement of the Testarossa – a response to criticism that the original had grown visually stale as the decade turned. Ferrari lowered the chassis to improve the center of gravity, reworked the flat-12 engine with new pistons, revised camshafts, and an upgraded Bosch Motronic management system, lifting output to 428 horsepower in European specification and 421 horsepower for US-market cars. Top speed sits at 195 mph. The rear wheels receive power through a five-speed manual transmission, with the setup generating 362 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. It is, on any objective measure, a serious machine.A clean 512 TR in strong condition typically commands around $250,000 at auction. Chassis #1341, finished in black with a grigio interior and carrying verified documentation tying it to one of the most culturally significant eras in American sports, places this particular car in a category of its own. Estimates for this specific car range between $500,000 and $750,000, though the final figure will depend heavily on whoever wants it most.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe V12 Ferrari collector market is running hot right now, with analog-era machines attracting renewed attention from serious buyers. A car that spent three championship seasons parked outside Chicago Stadium, was later driven by the real-life subject of a Will Smith movie, and just survived a California wildfire in a private garage isn't going to struggle to find a buyer. The only question is what "M-AIR-J" is worth to whoever writes the check.
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