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Michael Jordan’s iconic black Ferrari vanished from the public eye for over 15 years, but someone tracked it down and now they have an incredible story to tell. Over the past 15 years, the black 1992 Ferrari 512 TR that MJ was photographed driving to Game 5 of the 1992 NBA Playoffs in Chicago, has been through some very interesting hands.
Jordan’s blacked-out supercar, according to HotCars.com, “came with a 4.9L flat-12 engine pushing 428 horsepower and 362 LB-FT of torque with a 0-60 under five seconds and top speed of 195 mph. A five-speed gated manual gearbox, no ABS, and no traction control meant this Ferrari was pure analog fury. Truly Air Jordan–level unique, it featured a triple black paint scheme, deleted badges, and a license plate that summed it all up – M-AIR-J.”
It was definitely one-of-a-kind. So where did it go for 15 years?
According to the people who tracked it down, the vintage supercar specialists at Curated, Michael Jordan took possession of the black 1992 Ferrari 512 from Lake Forest Ferrari in Illinois on February 29, 1992. He was photographed in it numerous times by the Chicago press, but in October of 1995 he sold it.
The supercar was snapped up next by Chris Gardner, the inspiration for the film The Pursuit of Happyness. He changed the license plate from “M AIR J” to “NOT MJ.” It was Gardner then that was seen zooming around Chicago in the iconic car.
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The last time the Ferrari was seen in public was in 2010 when it was put up for auction. The man who bought it ended up driving it for just nine months, but had to put it into storage when he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. It turned out that both he, and the Ferrari 512 TR, both survived all this time.
“There are few moments in this business that truly give you chills,” said Curated co-founder John Temerian in a video about the chase for Michael Jordan’s Ferrari. “Finding this car felt like solving a mystery that’s haunted us for years. Everyone knew the plate. Everyone knew the legend. But no one knew where it went. Until now.”
Temerian added, “It’s the peak of Jordan, the peak of Ferrari. This car is more than just metal and horsepower. It’s a moment in time. It’s bigger than basketball, and bigger than the brand. We’re just thrilled to bring it back into the world.”