Michael Jordan’s Long-Lost Ferrari 550 Maranello Finds Its Way Back to Chicago

Michael Jordan took delivery of this Ferrari on May 29, 1997, through a North Carolina dealer while he played for the Chicago Bulls. The timing lined up with another deep playoff run that would end with his fifth NBA championship. He drove the car to the United Center for Game 6 of the 1997 Finals, not long after the famous Flu Game performance.

The 550 Maranello, Ferrari’s successful return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration after more than two decades of mid-engine V12s, was a watershed moment for the company’s finest two-seater. They produced these from 1996 to 2002. A 5.5 liter V12 sits right in front of the driver, producing 485 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 5000 rpm, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. It accelerates from 0 to 60 in about 4.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 200 mph. Its 98.4 inch wheelbase and 179-inch overall length make it a real-world driver capable of handling actual roads, weighing a respectable 3725 pounds.


Jordan’s example, chassis number 108712, left the factory in Rosso Barchetta, a deep, metallic burgundy that is darker and richer than the bright red most people associate with Ferraris. The interior is upholstered in tan and beige leather, and it looks amazing. A pair of yellow enameled Scuderia Ferrari shields on the front fenders add to the interior’s uniqueness. He ordered this special edition cosmetic because he is 6’6″, and the factory ended up adjusting the seat tracks and padding to keep his knees out from under the steering column.


There’s a great story that demonstrates how careless Jordan may have been with the car around Christmas 1997. He essentially offered to trade it to his colleague Scottie Pippen for a pair of diamond-encrusted championship trophy earrings. However, MJ continued to own the Ferrari until December 4, 2002, when he decided to sell it to an auto dealer in Lake Forest, Illinois. Then it vanished, with no auctions, magazine pieces, or anything. For a while, the vehicle was still registered in Ferrari’s records, and he even obtained a vanity plate that read MJ5.


Curated’s founder, John Temerarian, spent the better part of a decade looking for this car. He’d been tipped off by a dusty old forum post with the chassis number, so he paid thousands of dollars for private investigators and even called a variety of Ferrari service shops across Los Angeles to see if this car had ended up in their garages. A mechanic finally discovered out who the owner was and sent a small note to him. The owner, who was obviously protecting his family’s interests, was initially aggressive and instructed those seeking for the automobile to leave his daughter-in-law alone. Two weeks later, he returned and said, “Okay, I’ll sell.” Temerarian ended up purchasing the thing without even seeing it, for a record price in a private transaction.


All of the key documents had remained with the car for years, including the complete service history, the original tool kit, the owners manual, a copy of the Illinois title, and the warranty book, which still bore Jordan’s signature. The new owners shipped it to Chicago. And it turned up on May 29th, 2026, exactly 29 years after Jordan initially picked up the keys. They drove straight past the enormous gate with the number 23, which marked the entrance to his old mansion, and got everything on camera.
[Source]