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- Michael Jordan’s 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello has sold for USD $2.7 million (roughly AUD $3.9 million).
- The result more than doubled JOOPITER’s USD $1.3 million high estimate for the Rosso Barchetta Ferrari Jordan drove during his final Chicago Bulls championship years.
- The car famously carried Jordan away from the United Center after his fifth NBA title, later helping inspire Tinker Hatfield’s Air Jordan XIV.
In 1997, few machines captured the romance of open-road grand touring quite like the Ferrari 550 Maranello. Designed by Pininfarina, the two-seat V12 grand tourer marked Ferrari’s return to the front-engined, two-seat flagship formula that had defined cars such as the 365 GTB/4 Daytona before more than two decades of mid-engined successors.
If you aren’t already geeking out over front-engined Ferraris, you’re probably here because we’ve just been reminded of how much value a famous name can add.
Michael Jordan’s 1997 550 Maranello has just sold at auction via JOOPITER for USD $2.7 million (roughly AUD $3.9 million), more than twice its high estimate of USD $1.3 million. And for good reason: it’s not your average Ferrari.
1/13Michael Jordan’s Ferrari 550 Maranello – Key Specs
- Model: 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello
- Chassis: 108712
- Engine: 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V12
- Power: 485 hp
- Transmission: Six-speed gated manual
- Exterior: Rosso Barchetta
- Interior: Tan leather
- Production: 3,083 examples (1996–2001)
- Odometer: 18,501 miles
- Jordan’s Mileage: Approx. 6,400 miles
- Sale price: USD $2.7 million (approx. AUD $3.9 million)
Delivered brand new to Michael Jordan on 29 May 1997, the Rosso Barchetta Ferrari had barely been in his garage for three weeks when, cigar in hand and trophy along for the ride, he drove it away from Chicago’s United Center after winning his fifth NBA championship.
It became a regular fixture throughout Jordan’s final championship years with the Bulls, racking up roughly 6,400 miles travelling to games, practices and public appearances while wearing the Illinois vanity plate “MJ 5”. The car also retains its original factory warranty card bearing Jordan’s signature and his Durham, North Carolina address.
1/9The Ferrari Behind the Air Jordan XIV
But beyond the world of cars, the influence of this particular Ferrari stretched much further. Tinker Hatfield used Jordan’s Maranello as a direct reference for the Air Jordan XIV, borrowing cues such as quilted leather, sculpted vents, a tyre-inspired heel and the shield-shaped Jumpman badge.
Jordan sold the Ferrari through Lake Forest Sportscars in December 2002, after which it disappeared from public view for almost 24 years. It was eventually traced to a long-term California owner before CURATED co-founder John Temerian acquired it and returned Jordan’s Maranello to Chicago in May 2026.
Now, after all that history, someone has paid USD $2.7 million to put it back in a garage. Turns out the MJ 5 plate was worth a little more than five bucks.
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