This supercar has truly seen it all. From paparazzi spotlights while speeding with Michael Jordan behind the wheel, to a long period of disappearance, through the devastating California wildfires. Today, however, the Ferrari 512 TR, evolution of the Testarossa, which belonged to the legendary number 23 of the Chicago Bulls is finally ready for a new life: it has returned home to Italy to undergo a complete restoration by Carrozzeria Zanasi, official Ferrari partner in Maranello.
Michael Jordan’s lost Ferrari 512 TR found after 15 Years, returns to Italy for restoration
In the nineties, Jordan chose this powerful coupé with personalized license plate “M-AIR-J” as a symbol of his style and rise. Delivered directly to his home by a luxury Illinois dealership in 1992, the 512 TR, the Testarossa indeed, accompanied him for three years before passing into the hands of Chris Gardner, the businessman whose story inspired the film The Pursuit of Happyness.
After being auctioned in 2010, the supercar vanished into thin air. For 15 years the team at Curated, a Miami automotive boutique, pursued this legendary car among false leads and counterfeit chassis numbers. But in 2025, finally, the right call: the Ferrari was in California, having survived the fires that had devastated the area. Though in a state of abandonment, the key components, from the Kevlar and aluminum chassis to the legendary 428 HP V12 engine, were intact.
Today, the precious specimen is undergoing total restoration, from bodywork to interiors, through to mechanics. The work, valued at $250,000, will return the car to original specifications: no ABS, no electronic controls, just pure power and rear-wheel drive.
In its time this Ferrari accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds, with a top speed of 314 km/h. Once the work is completed, the Testarossa will return to the United States. The Curated team will present it to Jordan and Gardner, then let it be driven, perhaps definitively, also by the man who had kept it for 15 years.
