Papa John's missing Camaro found in Detroit driveway

A Chevrolet Camaro Z28 stolen from Papa John's pizza chain during the Woodward Dream Cruise was discovered in an abandoned home's driveway Monday morning on Detroit's west side.

The gold vehicle with black stripes was parked deep in some weeds, its license plate missing and the holder bent backward. Ernest Webster, 48, arrived to mow a nearby area at 7:30 a.m. when he recognized the vehicle from a TV report and called 911.

Police arrived, found paperwork in the car and quickly confirmed it as the one used by the pizza chain during last weekend's event featuring classic cars.

The vehicle didn't have noticeable damage, but an Altoids tin was found wedged behind the steering wheel.

"We are thrilled that a piece of our company's history has been recovered, and we will continue to work with authorities during their ongoing investigation," said Papa John's in a company statement.

The company added that it will issue a $16,000 reward to the person who discovered the vehicle and alerted police to its whereabouts once the investigation is concluded.

John Schnatter, founder of the pizza chain, owned the 1971 Camaro and was "distraught" over its disappearance, his spokesman Bob Kraut told the Associated Press.

This is the second time Schnatter and the Camaro have been separated.

The pizza mogul sold the car in 1983 to help save his father's business in Indiana. Schnatter also used the money to start his own company, which became the Papa John's pizza chain. After searching for the car for years — and even offering a $250,000 reward at one point — Schnatter found it and bought it back in 2009.

The car has a Kentucky license plate of PZZA1, The Courier-Journal reported.

Contributing: Lori Grisham, USA TODAY Network; Tom Heiser, The Courier-Journal; The Associated Press