Michael Jordan’s cars showcased in ‘The Last Dance’ documentary

After the masses begged and pleaded for an early release, ESPN finally unlocked the doors to the biggest production in company history last month. Episodes 1 and 2 of The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary special about Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls, and the 1997-1998 season, was released at last on April 19, 2020. Each week since, two new episodes have aired on Sunday nights, and the next two, episodes 7 and 8 are scheduled to drop this weekend on May 10. With unprecedented video access to MJ, who became averse to the media during his playing days, a byproduct from The Last Dance is a look at some of Jordan’s cars. The Goat’s taste ranges across a number of brands, but they all had one thing in common: performance as a top priority. Below, we have listed the rides that have already appeared in the series, and each week, we will update with new car cameos.

Chevrolet Corvette C4

The photo above somewhat epitomizes one of the themes of The Last Dance. Everybody, whether that was men, women, children, franchise owners, reporters, coaches, teammates, or opponents, wanted a piece of Jordan. If that meant stopping in the middle of the road to get an autograph, then so be it. Around town, MJ was fairly easy to spot due to his flashy cars that occasionally wore Bulls red.

Jordan has driven numerous Corvettes throughout the years, but the C4 is unique in that it was Chevy’s top ride when Jordan signed an endorsement deal with the American company during his rookie year in 1984. Two famous photos, one in front of the Chicago skyline, show him standing next to a C4 with the license plate “Jump 23.” This exact car, however, came later, as indicated by the squared-off taillights. He went on to star in a number of Chevrolet commercials with vehicles such as the Blazer and S-10 pickup truck.

Chevrolet Corvette C5

The most notable Corvette His Airness ever owned was likely the C4 40th Anniversary ZR-1, but he also drove a C5 coupe at one point. Roughly nine minutes into the first episode, Jordan is seen driving the chrome-wheeled targa top into the parking lot at the Berto Center, the Bulls old practice facility.  

Ferrari 550 Maranello

Roughly three minutes into episode four, viewers get a glimpse of Jordan’s exotic taste in the form of a red Ferrari 550 Maranello. A successor to the F512M, the 550 was “Ferrari’s answer to those who believed the performance of a front-engined V12 car could not beat that of a mid-engined sports car.” The V12 under the hood packed a claimed 479 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 420 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. As the story goes, Nike and Air Jordan designer Tinker Hatfield used Jordan’s Ferrari as inspiration for the Air Jordan 14, which has “air intakes,” a Ferrari-like Jumpman logo badge, tire-like rubber, air strakes, and metal lace tips. Jordan’s most notable Ferrari was the Testarossa, which is the star of this famous photo. 

Porsche Slantnose

The 550 wasn’t the only car Tinker Hatfield was inspired by. Jordan’s Porsche 911 also served as a pathway to the Jordan VI’s heel tab, which reflects the wing seen on 911s. Among other Porsches, Jordan had a white 930 Turbo Cabriolet slant nose that makes an appearance in episode four at about 38 minutes in. The memorable scene shows the Chicago Bulls returning home after finally getting over the Detroit Bad Boys hump by sweeping the Pistons in four games. The license plate reads, “MJ JJ,” which we speculate could be representative of his father James Jordan.

Land Rover Range Rover HSE 4.6

The rainy scene starring the red-and-black Range Rover is special, as it follows Mike driving from his 23-gated Highland Park house, through Chicago, and to the United Center. Access to a cigar-smoking MJ inside his car is extremely rare and was only granted to a select few people, such as legendary reporter Ahmad Rashad, who was interviewing Mike at the time. The Range Rover HSE 4.6, which Jordan sported with a red-and-black color scheme, had a 4.6-liter V8 and a license plate that read “Two Trey.”

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