Summary
Michael Jordan's custom 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello is heading to auction for the first time after disappearing from public view for 24 yearsThe V-12 grand tourer famously inspired the design of the Air Jordan XIV and appeared onscreen during the Chicago Bulls' historic championship runPharrell Williams' platform Joopiter expects the cultural artifact to fetch up to $1.3 million in its inaugural automotive sale
Michael Jordan's exactingly customized 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello is stepping back into the spotlight, hitting the auction block for an estimated $700,000 USD to $1,300,000 USD. The monumental sale marks a first for JOOPITER, the sports collectibles platform founded by singer Pharrell Williams, which is operating in partnership with automotive specialist Curated to move its first-ever car. By bridging the world of high-end automotive collecting with the cultural weight of elite sports memorabilia, this auction tests a new ceiling for modern classic valuation.
Jordan took delivery of the new vehicle in May 1997, specifically tailoring the Italian powerhouse to his exact aesthetic and physical dimensions. The grand tourer is cloaked in Rosso Barchetta paint, riding on chrome Speedline wheels and concealing a naturally aspirated, 485-hp Ferrari V-12 engine mated to a purist-approved gated manual transmission. To accommodate his six-foot-six frame, Ferrari uniquely modified the tan leather interior by installing longer chair rails and equipping the seats with slimmer padding. In a move of calculated understatement, Jordan also ordered the car entirely without the traditional yellow Ferrari fender shields.
The coupe's provenance is inextricably tied to peak Chicago Bulls dominance. Jordan famously drove the car out of the United Center with an Illinois vanity plate reading "MJ 5" on June 13, 1997, immediately after clinching his fifth NBA Championship. The vehicle was later seen rolling out of a January 1998 practice in the seminal ESPN documentary The Last Dance. Its cultural footprint extends far beyond the pavement, directly shaping sneaker history when the vehicle inspired Nike VP of Design Tinker Hatfield to create the Air Jordan XIV basketball shoe. Hatfield pulled directly from the Italian bodywork, integrating a Ferrari-like yellow-and-black Jumpman shield and a heavy tire-tread sole pattern into the iconic silhouette.
Jordan ultimately sold the Ferrari at the end of 2002, inadvertently kicking off a decades-long vanishing act. The legendary chassis remained completely out of public view for 24 years before being definitively rediscovered in 2026. Despite its mythic status and sheer performance capabilities, the vehicle has been driven sparingly across its entire lifespan, showing just under 19,000 miles on the odometer as it heads to its historic Joopiter sale.