Michael Jordan's Ferrari breaks a record: 2.7 million for the car that inspired his sneakers
The 1997 550 Maranello that accompanied Jordan in his final years with the Bulls was out of public view for nearly 24 years and has just become the most expensive of its model ever sold at auction
The Michael Jordan Ferrari already has a new owner and also a new record. The 1997 550 Maranello that belonged to the six-time NBA champion sold for $2.7 million at the JOOPITER auction, which closed on September 30. The price made this example the most expensive of its model ever sold publicly.
The figure far exceeded the initial estimate, which was set between $700,000 and $1.3 million. But the car’s value lies not only in its rarity: it was owned by Jordan, appeared repeatedly in photographs during his final years with the Bulls and, above all, was the inspiration for one of the most famous sneakers of his career.
The Ferrari that ended up transformed into a pair of Air Jordans
When Tinker Hatfield began designing the Air Jordan XIV, he used Jordan's 550 Maranello as a reference. Ferrari's influence was reflected in several elements of the sneaker: the quilted leather recalls the sports car's interior, the car's air intakes are reinterpreted on the sides, and the heel area features a design inspired by the tires.
The most obvious detail is in the emblem. The Jumpman appears inside a shield inspired by Ferrari’s famous prancing horse. The car and the sneaker were thus forever linked by one of Jordan’s last great images with Chicago.
Jordan debuted the Air Jordan XIV during Game 6 of the 1998 Finals against the Utah Jazz. Wearing them, he made the game-winning shot over Bryon Russell with 5.2 seconds left, the famous ‘Last Shot’ that gave the Bulls their sixth championship and became his final shot as a Chicago player.
From the fifth ring to Jordan's garage
Ferrari’s story began a year earlier. The car was delivered to Jordan on May 29, 1997, with Rosso Barchetta bodywork, a beige leather interior, chromed Speedline wheels, and the personalized license plate “MJ 5”. On June 13, just a few hours after winning his fifth NBA championship, Jordan left the United Center behind the wheel of the Maranello, with the trophy and a cigar in his hands.
“The Ferrari was actually used. Jordan put approximately 6,400 miles on it and drove it to Bulls games, practices, and public appearances. His size also made it necessary to carry out modifications to the driver’s seat: the rails were extended and thinner padding was used to allow for a more reclined position.”
Under the hood is a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V12 with 485 horsepower, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. But, in this case, the technical specifications are almost overshadowed by the history this particular car has accumulated.
Jordan sold the Ferrari on December 4, 2002 through Lake Forest Sportscars, in Illinois. Then a long disappearance began: for nearly a quarter of a century there were no confirmed public sightings of the car.
The search was led for years by John Temerian, co-founder of CURATED. The definitive lead appeared when a partial chassis number surfaced on an old internet forum. With that information, they were able to reconstruct the full VIN and, through Ferrari’s historical records, locate the car in the hands of a collector in California.
The Ferrari returned to Chicago on May 29, 2026 , exactly 29 years after its original delivery. Among the documentation it retains is the factory warranty card, still bearing Jordan's signature and his address in Durham, North Carolina.
Almost three decades after entering Jordan's garage, the 550 Maranello changed hands again. This time, for $2.7 million. It wasn’t just a Ferrari that was sold: the car behind the Air Jordan XIV and one of the last great images of Michael Jordan as a Bulls player also went up for auction.
