Papa John's founder finds his beloved 1971 Camaro

udman · 08-25-2009, 01:46 PM

Papa John's founder finds his beloved 1971 Camaro

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The founder of the Papa John's pizza chain has finally reunited with the muscle car he sold years ago to help keep his family's business afloat.

John Schnatter sold the gold-and-black 1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for $2,800 in 1983. The money helped save his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind., and he used the rest to start what would become a worldwide pizza business.

But he still missed his beloved Camaro and spent years searching for it. He created a Web site on the search, held promotional appearances and eventually offered $250,000 to whoever found it.

It turns out he didn't have to leave Kentucky, where the pizza chain is based in Louisville. The car only changed hands twice from the original buyers, ending up with Jeffery Robinson in Flatwoods, about 165 miles to the east.

"When I first saw it I still wanted to look it over to make sure it was the car even though I knew it," Schnatter told The Associated Press. "That kind of hit me emotionally. I was kind of numb."

The original buyers of Schnatter's car heard about the search when he appeared in a TV interview before an NFL game this month. An online search led them to the car blog Jalopnik, which has followed the search and tipped off Papa John's.

Robinson, who bought the car about five years ago for $4,000, recently delivered the Camaro to Schnatter, earning the $250,000 reward. The original buyers will get $25,000 for their help tracking it down.

Schnatter says it looks very much the same as it did when he sold it in 1983, but with a larger motor and fatter tires for drag racing.

The car will be displayed at the company headquarters in Louisville, replacing a replica Schnatter commissioned while he searched for his original car.

In honor of the reunion, Papa John's planned to offer all Camaro owners a free pizza at stores on Wednesday.

neebelung · 08-25-2009, 01:55 PM

That's really cool!!

karl_1052 · 08-25-2009, 02:49 PM

Do Camaro owners have enough teeth to eat pizza?

Sixxxxer · 08-25-2009, 04:52 PM

You dont need teeth to eat pizza!!!

TYEster · 08-25-2009, 05:34 PM

So they had a fake one in the commercial?

In one of em, they had him "personally" delivering a pizza in his old neighborhood in one of those shitbox's and said something about "original" camaro too in the fine print, but I guess either this story is late or they had a fake car.

Flexin · 08-25-2009, 07:25 PM

Damn nice investment for the guy that bought it 5 years ago. Not bad for the guy that bought it from him in the first place.

How the hell could you save a business and start another one with $2800? That guy can really stretch a dollar.

James

Homeslice · 08-25-2009, 08:09 PM

Thing looks pretty good actually....I'm a sucker for lip spoilers

Rangerscott · 08-26-2009, 11:00 PM

Is his house big enough?

TommyHotWheel · 08-27-2009, 12:40 AM

I wouldnt pay that much for a Gen II unless it had a body I forgot to bury in the trunk.

MILK · 08-27-2009, 11:41 AM

Goodness I wonder if I can find my first car? I sure would love to see that 1981 Rabbit Diesel again!

08-25-2009, 01:46 PM	#1
udman You are not the Man!! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Austin TX Moto: Hawk GT Posts: 750	Papa John's founder finds his beloved 1971 Camaro Papa John's founder finds his beloved 1971 Camaro LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The founder of the Papa John's pizza chain has finally reunited with the muscle car he sold years ago to help keep his family's business afloat. John Schnatter sold the gold-and-black 1971 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for $2,800 in 1983. The money helped save his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind., and he used the rest to start what would become a worldwide pizza business. But he still missed his beloved Camaro and spent years searching for it. He created a Web site on the search, held promotional appearances and eventually offered $250,000 to whoever found it. It turns out he didn't have to leave Kentucky, where the pizza chain is based in Louisville. The car only changed hands twice from the original buyers, ending up with Jeffery Robinson in Flatwoods, about 165 miles to the east. "When I first saw it I still wanted to look it over to make sure it was the car even though I knew it," Schnatter told The Associated Press. "That kind of hit me emotionally. I was kind of numb." The original buyers of Schnatter's car heard about the search when he appeared in a TV interview before an NFL game this month. An online search led them to the car blog Jalopnik, which has followed the search and tipped off Papa John's. Robinson, who bought the car about five years ago for $4,000, recently delivered the Camaro to Schnatter, earning the $250,000 reward. The original buyers will get $25,000 for their help tracking it down. Schnatter says it looks very much the same as it did when he sold it in 1983, but with a larger motor and fatter tires for drag racing. The car will be displayed at the company headquarters in Louisville, replacing a replica Schnatter commissioned while he searched for his original car. In honor of the reunion, Papa John's planned to offer all Camaro owners a free pizza at stores on Wednesday. __________________ You can put lipstick on a VS Forum, but it's still a VS Forum...

08-25-2009, 02:49 PM	#3
karl_1052 sergeant hatred Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ottawa Moto: The bus Posts: 2,723	Do Camaro owners have enough teeth to eat pizza? __________________ My wife was afraid of the dark...then she saw me naked and now she's afraid of the light.

08-25-2009, 04:52 PM	#4
Sixxxxer Like Gixxxxer But Not Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Dirty Jersey Moto: 2008 ZX6R Posts: 4,891	You dont need teeth to eat pizza!!! __________________ [FRSH] Candy Plasma Blue

08-25-2009, 07:25 PM	#6
Flexin AMA Supersport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,698	Damn nice investment for the guy that bought it 5 years ago. Not bad for the guy that bought it from him in the first place. How the hell could you save a business and start another one with $2800? That guy can really stretch a dollar. James __________________ "Bust a nut inside your eye, to show you where I come from" "f youre horny, lets do it, Ride it, my pony, My saddles waitin, Come and jump on it, If youre horny, lets do it" "I'm not a playa I just fuck a lot" "Round two, I'm down to Do, what it takes to make you Understand I'm the Candyman And I melt in your mouth, not in your hands Hard as rock, yes I'm no sucka The boots I knock make me one bad mutha"

08-27-2009, 12:40 AM	#9
TommyHotWheel Imported from Detroit Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Michigan Moto: 2001 Suzuki TL1000R Posts: 989	I wouldnt pay that much for a Gen II unless it had a body I forgot to bury in the trunk. __________________ Cry Havok! And let slip the hogs of war!

08-25-2009, 01:55 PM	#2
neebelung Ornery, scandalous & evil Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Moto: 2004 Scarlet R1 Posts: 5,962	That's really cool!!

08-25-2009, 05:34 PM	#5
TYEster With MORE TYEstosterone Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: TX Moto: '12 KX450F / 08 YZ250F #512 / 07 KX65 #1 Posts: 1,429	So they had a fake one in the commercial? In one of em, they had him "personally" delivering a pizza in his old neighborhood in one of those shitbox's and said something about "original" camaro too in the fine print, but I guess either this story is late or they had a fake car.

08-26-2009, 11:00 PM	#8
Rangerscott Viff6N Mutated Warrior Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Moto: '01 Honda VFR 800 & '09 ER-6N Posts: 8,704	Is his house big enough?

08-27-2009, 11:41 AM	#10
MILK The cows want you dead. Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,087	Goodness I wonder if I can find my first car? I sure would love to see that 1981 Rabbit Diesel again!