Michael Jordan's 'missing' supercar is being sold for staggering amount after 24 years out of public view

A highly sought-after supercar made famous by former owner Michael Jordan has been located, liberated and put up for auction.

Jordan is a cultural icon and his cache has seldom been higher than it was when he was on top of the sporting world in the mid-nineties.

Everything he touched became fashion gold, from the ubiquitous Chicago Bulls baseball cap to the brand new custom Ferrari 550 he made famous in 1997.

According to the phenomenally detailed auction listing: "On the night of June 13, 1997, Michael Jordan won his fifth NBA Championship at the United Center. Hours later, he drove out of the arena in this car – cigar in hand, trophy in tow. Rosso Barchetta paint, chrome Speedline wheels, tan leather, and an Illinois vanity plate that read MJ 5.

"The Ferrari 550 Maranello marked Ferrari's return to the front-engined V12 grand tourer – the configuration that defined the marque's golden age, reborn after two decades of mid-engined flagships.

"At its core lies the Tipo F133A 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, producing 485 horsepower through a six-speed gated manual, with a top speed of 199 mph. Just 3,083 examples were built between 1996 and 2001."

Jordan's legend was built on the basketball court; he is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, if not number one.

He won six NBA championships, all with the Bulls, and was named as the Finals MVP on all six occasions.

Four of those years also saw Jordan crowned the league MVP.

"The car's cultural reach extends well beyond the road. Tinker Hatfield designed the Air Jordan XIV as a direct tribute to Jordan's Maranello, carrying the car's design language into the shoe: quilted leather referencing the Ferrari's cabin, a tire-tread heel, sculpted air-vent detailing, and a Jumpman badge set in a shield modeled on the prancing-horse emblem," continues the listing.

"It records roughly 6,400 miles of real use at the hands of the greatest basketball player of all time, driven to Bulls home games, practices, and public appearances through his final seasons in Chicago. Of the many cars Jordan owned in those years, none is more closely identified with him: the Rosso Barchetta paint, chrome wheels, and MJ 5 plate made it instantly recognizable wherever it appeared, and the car became an integral part of the visual record of the Bulls' championship run."

According to Joopiter, which is also auctioning MJ's 1998 finals jersey, Jordan sold the Maranello to a private collector in 2002. There hasn't been a confirmed sighting of it since.

John Temerian and CURATED, his historical supercar search and rescue firm, spent 10 years finding it. Now, it can be yours for an estimated investment of just $700,000 to $1.3 million. Bargain.

Jordan and the Bulls' legendary 1997 finals run

1997 was Jordan's fifth NBA championship with the Bulls, who blitzed the regular season before coasting past the Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat in the play-offs.

Chicago won their two home matches to kick off the finals series against the Utah Jazz. The Salt Lakers struck back with two home wins of their own before the Bulls took charge to secure the championship with two more victories.

Jordan was the series MVP and contributed an average of more than 32 points per game, miles clear as the most effective player across six games.