The motor and basketball world have joined by the unexpected return of an authentic jewel: Ferrari 512 TR that belonged to Michael Jordan. For decades, this car was considered A lost myth which fed stories and legends between basketball fans and car collectors.
Now, after more than a decade of mystery, the iconic Italian sports car is again making headlines thanks to a successful search that has only increased the legend of this unit. The story of this Ferrari is a journey that mixes success, mystery, and a miraculous survival against the forces of nature.
Jordan’s Ferrari: Symbol of an Era
In 1992, in full rise of his career with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan was frequently photographed leaving a spectacular Ferrari 512 TR. This car did not go unnoticed, not only because of its design and the rumble generated by the 428 hp of its V12 engine, but also because of its personalized registration: “M-Air-J,” a direct nod to its popular owner.
The Ferrari became part of the fans’ collective imagination, representing luxury and sports success that surrounded the number 23 of the Bulls in those years. Its presence on the streets of Chicago and in the media reinforced the image of Jordan as a superstar capable of turning everything he touched into gold. This Ferrari, with its unmistakable registration, was a silent witness to one of the most glorious stages of world basketball.
In 1995, Michael Jordan decided to sell his Ferrari to Chris Gardner, the successful businessman whose life inspired the movie “In Search of Happiness“, starring Will Smith.
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Gardner, aware of the weight of the legacy, chose to play the same game as the star of the Bulls, installing a personalized registration that read: “Not MJ,” making it clear that the jewel no longer belonged to the athlete.
In 2010, Gardner auctioned the car for $100,000, and since then, the Ferrari’s whereabouts became an absolute mystery. No one knew anything more about its destiny after it left Jordan’s possession. Throughout the last 15 years, the Ferrari 512 TR of Michael Jordan remained hidden, feeding all kinds of rumors and speculation.
The Search and the Miracle of Survival
The Classic Car Dealership for Collectors We Are Curated, co-founded by Spanish entrepreneur Jordi Ricart, began an exhaustive search for the Ferrari based on its frame number. Fortunately, they documented their search story in a video.
After more than a decade of investigations, they located it in California. The owner, a collector who had acquired the car at the 2010 auction, had retained it for only a few months before receiving a diagnosis of cancer that led him to park the car while undergoing treatment.
The story took an even more unexpected turn in early 2025, when devastating forest fires ravaged the area where the collector lived. Surprisingly, while surrounding houses were reduced to ashes, his remained intact, along with his collection of cars. Jordan’s Ferrari, despite a layer of ash, was in perfect condition, as the dealership showcased on their Instagram profile.
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However, even though the historic Ferrari 512 TR is preserved in reasonably good condition after changing hands three times, the 15 years locked away have taken their toll on its mechanical components.
For this reason, the dealership, now the fourth owner of the vehicle, has decided to send it back to the Maranello factory from which it originally came over 33 years ago, for a complete restoration of its mechanics. The budget for this operation amounts to $200,000.
The future of Jordan’s Ferrari is yet to be determined. Its new owner is contemplating the possibility of organizing a tour so that, after its restoration, the spectacular sports car can be reunited with its three previous owners, and perhaps even exhibited at the Ferrari Museum or in the prestigious Pebble Beach Rally.
After this tribute to the protagonists of its history, the car could go to auction, where it is estimated that it could exceed one million dollars. Perhaps, fate wants to close the circle and that it is Michael Jordan himself who finally recovers it.
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Image | Ferrari, Flickr (Zach Catanareti)