Michael Jordan’s 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello has returned to the spotlight, nearly 30 years after the car disappeared from public view.
Now identified as chassis 108712, the Rosso Barchetta Ferrari is being offered through JOOPITER in the Driven to Greatness auction, presented in partnership with CURATED. The car was displayed in New York at CART Department, where JOOPITER founder Pharrell Williams joined guests for a private preview connecting Ferrari, basketball, sneakers, fashion and contemporary collecting culture.
The auction is currently open with limited time left until it closes on September 30, 2026 at 7p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The reserve has been met and bids are at $1.3 million and more.
Michael Jordan’s Championship Ferrari
The Ferrari 550 Maranello arrived in Michael Jordan’s life during one of the most important periods of his Chicago Bulls career.
Delivered new on May 29, 1997, chassis 108712 was purchased through Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro, North Carolina. The car was finished in Rosso Barchetta over tan leather and equipped with chrome Speedline wheels, a six speed gated manual transmission and a naturally aspirated V12 engine.
Just weeks later, Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their fifth NBA championship.
On June 13, 1997, Chicago defeated the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Photographs from that night show Jordan leaving the United Center in his Ferrari with the championship trophy and a cigar.
The Illinois registration plate read MJ 5, giving the Ferrari an immediately recognizable connection to Jordan.
The car subsequently became part of the visual record of Jordan’s final championship seasons in Chicago.
The Ferrari 550 Maranello
The Ferrari 550 Maranello marked Ferrari’s return to a front engined V12 grand touring car after more than two decades of mid engined flagship models.
The 550 used Ferrari’s Tipo F133A 5.5 liter naturally aspirated V12, producing 485 horsepower and sending power through a six speed gated manual transmission.
Ferrari produced 3,083 examples of the 550 Maranello between 1996 and 2001. Chassis 108712 is recorded with approximately 18,501 total miles, including roughly 6,400 miles accumulated during Jordan’s ownership.
The car also contains a detail that reflects Jordan’s physical stature.
At 6 foot 6, Jordan required additional room in the driver’s position. The Ferrari received extended seat rails and thinner padding to accommodate his height. The modification remains part of the car.
The original factory warranty documentation is also part of the provenance, including Jordan’s signature and his Durham, North Carolina address.
From Michael Jordan’s Garage to the Air Jordan XIV
The Ferrari 550 Maranello’s story extends beyond automobiles.
The 550 Maranello became an important design reference for Tinker Hatfield during the development of the Air Jordan XIV.
The relationship can be seen in the sneaker’s sculpted ventilation details, quilted elements, tire inspired forms and shield shaped Jumpman emblem. The Ferrari 550 Maranello and the Air Jordan XIV share a direct design connection that links Jordan’s automotive interests with his signature basketball footwear.
Jordan wore the Air Jordan XIV during Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz.
With 5.2 seconds remaining, he hit the championship winning jumper over Bryon Russell, giving Chicago an 87 to 86 victory and its sixth championship of the Jordan era.
The Ferrari 550 Maranello sits at an unusual intersection of automotive history, sneaker design and basketball history.
The Ferrari Disappeared
Jordan sold chassis 108712 through Lake Forest Sportscars in Illinois on December 4, 2002.
Following the sale the Ferrari 550 Maranello disappeared from public view for more than two decades.
Its absence became part of the car’s provenance. Collectors knew the story of Jordan’s Rosso Barchetta Ferrari 550 Maranello and the MJ 5 plate, but the car itself remained outside the public market.
The search eventually became a decade long project led by CURATED co-founder John Temerian.
A partial chassis number found through an old online forum provided a crucial lead. CURATED reconstructed the vehicle identification number and used historical Ferrari dealer records to connect chassis 108712 to Jordan’s original ownership.
The research eventually led the team to a long term California owner who had not publicly offered the Ferrari for sale.
Temerian acquired the car sight unseen and on May 29, 2026, exactly 29 years after Ferrari delivered it to Jordan, chassis 108712 returned to Chicago.
Pharrell and JOOPITER Bring the Ferrari to New York
The Ferrari 550 Maranello entered its next public chapter in September through JOOPITER’s Driven to Greatness auction.
The New York presentation took place at CART Department at 16 Morton Street in the West Village. The Ferrari appeared alongside Jordan’s white Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals. The exhibition ran from September 15 through September 20.
Pharrell Williams attended the presentation alongside guests including KAWS, Maye Musk, Olivia Jade and Tina Leung.
The event brought together automotive collectors, sneaker enthusiasts, designers, sports fans and members of New York’s creative community.
Williams described the broader concept behind the presentation saying, “Driven to Greatness is about the spirit of someone who changed the way the world saw what was possible in basketball and in sports in general.”
The Ferrari 550 Maranello provided the physical connection between those worlds.
It belonged to Jordan during the final championship period of the Chicago Bulls dynasty. It became a reference for the Air Jordan XIV. Then it disappeared from public view after Jordan sold it in 2002. Now it has returned as a collector automobile offered through a contemporary auction platform JOOPITER founded by Pharrell Williams.
The long lost Ferrari is now available. Chassis 108712 is available to a new collector and the next chapter of Michael Jordan’s Ferrari 550 Maranello will be written at JOOPITER.
All photos courtesy JOOPITER unless stated otherwise.