A classic gold Chevrolet Camaro belonging to John Schnatter — Papa John’s spokesperson, founder, and CEO — was reported missing on Sunday, and was recovered just one day later. The vehicle was one of three cars stolen this past weekend at a car show in the Detroit area, the Associated Press reports.
Schnatter originally sold the car over 20 years ago for $1,600. He used this money to help keep his father’s tavern in business, which led to the beginning of Papa John’s (PZZA), according to WLKY. In 2009, decades later, the founder tracked down his old Camaro and bought it back for $250,000. Since then it has been used widely in promotional material for the pizza chain.
The vehicle was on display at the Woodward Dream Cruise, an annual event that showcases classic cars. After discovering that it was gone, Papa John’s offered a $16,000 reward for the stolen car.
Papa John's Chevrolet Camaro stolen from Detroit-area car show: http://t.co/cimaxTK6xp pic.twitter.com/OPOUhcjels
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 17, 2015
The black and gold Papa John’s icon was found Monday morning on Detroit’s west side in the driveway of an abandoned home. The Detroit Free Press reports that it was “parked deep in some weeds, its license plate missing and the holder bent backwards.” The car did not incur any visible damage.