Michael Jordan’s Ferrari sells for record US$2.7 million

Michael Jordan’s former Ferrari 550 Maranello has sold for US$2.7 million, setting a new public-auction record for the model and fetching more than four times the previous benchmark.

The 1997 grand tourer attracted 43 bids through online auction platform Joopiter before bidding closed on 30 September. The two-week sale comfortably exceeded expectations, with the result more than double the US$1.3 million upper estimate.

The Ferrari was offered in partnership with collector-car specialist Curated, marking Joopiter’s first sale with the company and its expansion into the automotive auction market.

Finished in Rosso Barchetta with tan leather upholstery and chrome Speedline wheels, the car retains its distinctive Illinois “MJ 5” plate. Its paperwork includes a factory warranty card bearing Jordan’s signature.

Jordan took delivery on 29 May 1997, during the Chicago Bulls’ championship era. Just weeks later, he was photographed leaving the United Center in the Ferrari after winning his fifth NBA title, cigar in hand and trophy aboard.

Beneath the bonnet is a 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and Ferrari’s familiar exposed shift gate. The auction listing also describes a modified driver’s seat to accommodate Jordan’s height.

Its influence extended to Nike’s Air Jordan XIV. Designer Tinker Hatfield drew on the Ferrari’s cabin detailing, vents and badge for the shoe Jordan wore during the championship-winning final game of the 1998 NBA Finals. 

Jordan sold the Ferrari in December 2002, after which it disappeared from public view. Curated eventually traced it to a private California collection using a partial chassis number and Ferrari dealer records. It returned to Chicago on 29 May 2026, exactly 29 years after its original delivery. 

Curated chief executive John Temerian described the result as evidence of shifting collector tastes, pointing to “a new generation chasing the icons of the 1990s and early 2000s”.