Michael Jordan's 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello is heading to auction through Joopiter, the platform backed by Pharrell Williams. Online bidding runs from September 15th through September 30th. The car will also sit on public display in New York from September 15th to 20th.
Jordan drove the Ferrari straight out of the United Center hours after winning his fifth championship in 1997. He had it customized with adjusted seat tracks and padding to fit his frame. Rosso Barchetta paint, chrome Speedline wheels, and an Illinois plate reading "MJ 5" rounded out the build.
He sold the car in December 2002, and it disappeared from public view for almost 25 years. Supercar dealership Curated finally tracked it down earlier this year. Co-founder John Temerian led a decade-long search that ended when a partial chassis number surfaced in an old online forum.
This Ferrari holds a direct connection to sneaker history too. Tinker Hatfield used it as his primary inspiration while designing the Air Jordan 14. Jordan wore that silhouette during Game 6 of the 1998 Finals, hitting the title-winning shot remembered as The Last Shot.
Michael Jordan's Ferrari 550 Maranello
Hatfield pulled several design inspirations straight from the Maranello's body. Quilted leather was from the car's cabin, while the side vents mirrored its bodywork. Even the outsole took on a tire-tread pattern to match a Ferrari's tires.
The Jumpman logo got reworked for this shoe specifically. It sits inside a shield shape modeled after Ferrari's prancing horse emblem. That detail alone makes the Air Jordan 14 one of the more personal design stories in the line.
Joopiter is also auctioning the jersey Jordan wore during Game 3 of the 1998 Finals in the same sale. Together, both pieces tell a fuller story of Jordan's final championship run in Chicago.
Overall, for collectors, this sale offers a rare shot at owning a piece of history tied directly to one of the most storied sneakers ever made. Early reports suggest the car could sell for $700,000 to $1,300,000.
