After more than a decade off the radar, Michael Jordan’s iconic 1992 Ferrari 512 TR has been found and fully documented by CURATED, a vintage supercar dealership based in Miami. The discovery ends years of speculation about the fate of one of the most culturally significant Ferraris ever owned by a public figure.
Originally delivered to Jordan on February 29, 1992, via Lake Forest Ferrari in Illinois, the black-on-grigio 512 TR became an automotive icon in its own right, photographed outside Game 5 of the 1992 NBA Playoffs and parked at Jordan’s Highland Park mansion. Chassis #1341 remained in Jordan’s possession until 1995 and last appeared publicly in 2010, before disappearing from view.
“There are few moments in this business that truly give you chills,” said John Temerian, co-founder of CURATED. “This was one of them. Everyone remembered the license plate. Everyone remembered the car. But no one knew where it went—until now.”
The car resurfaced thanks to a single phone call that set off a series of verifications. To the surprise of the CURATED team, the 512 TR also had a brief chapter with Chris Gardner—the real-life inspiration behind The Pursuit of Happyness—who drove the car in Chicago with the ironic plate “Not MJ.”
Beneath its storied past lies a true Ferrari powerhouse. The 512 TR’s 4.9-liter flat-12 produces more than 420 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque, pushing the car beyond 190 mph. Compared to its predecessor, the Testarossa, the 512 TR featured refined internals, including a new intake system and upgraded Bosch Motronic 2.7 engine management for smoother power delivery and better overall performance.
Now preserved and verified, the car’s full history is being shared on CURATED’s YouTube channel, bringing closure—and celebration—to one of the most elusive supercars of the 1990s.
Elizabeth Puckett