Skip to main content

I’ve heard of “barn find” classic cars. I’ve heard of garage finds and shed finds too. But never ever have I heard of a “grocery store find.” Until now.

Paul Gentilozzi is a decorated Trans-Am and IMSA sports car driver. He even won the 24 Hours of Daytona. But these days his attention has shifted to building his world-class car collection. There is no group of retired race cars from the muscle car era quite like Paul’s. But he needed somewhere to keep them.

A grocery store might, at first, seem an odd place to keep your classic cars. But if you think about it: an empty grocery store could be perfect. It is a durable, steel-frame building. It has a ton of space. And stores go out of business all the time.

This is exactly what Paul decided, and he was able to find one to convert for his car collection. To add to the charm, he kept the section signs up even after he removed all the shelves. Here are some of the highlights of his colleciton:

  • Plymouth Arrow drag racing car
  • All-original 1956 Corvette
  • 1967 Oldsmobile 442 W30 race car with roll cage (Frozen Foods section)
  • 1968 Camaro Z/28 (1 of 1 in orange)

You can see Paul Gentilozzi’s full episode of Barn Find Hunter from Hagerty’s YouTube channel embedded below. Come for the priceless classic car collection, but stay for the belly laughs from his stories. Highlights include racing Magic Johnson’s father and the fateful day his wife discovered the collection of cars he’d been hoarding in their old grocery store.

Best in News
Avatar photo
Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.