Restaurateur in Italy hides a secret classic car collection behind his restaurant
- This restaurateur has been collecting cars for years
- He keeps most of his cars at his restaurant in Sicily
- Most of his cars are Italian, but he also has a few ‘foreign’ beauties
Published on Nov 04, 2024 at 7:30 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Nov 04, 2024 at 7:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A restaurateur in Sicily, Italy has been amassing an incredible classic car collection behind his restaurant for years.
The restaurant is located near Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, and is a traditional Italian-style trattoria.
You’d never be able to tell it also doubles as a classic car museum.
The story behind it is pretty fascinating, really.
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The story behind this secret car collection in Sicily, Italy
The owner, Gaetano, grew up around cars.
His dad was one of the go-to guys for car events and car meet-ups in Sicily, and as a result, from a young age, Gaetano grew up on a diet of cylinders and gaskets.
Naturally enough, he ended up building his own collection.
Even though the restaurant business is doing well, Gaetano is no Gordon Ramsay when it comes to his net worth, which means his approach remains sensible.
“I can’t keep all the cars I buy,” he told supercarblondie.com
“One in one out is the principle I work with, and I enjoy it anyway.
“Buying and selling is part of the fun.”
This is also, in part, the reason why he chose to keep the cars at the restaurant instead of renting an expensive dedicated garage.
His restaurant, located on the hills above Linguaglossa, a small town that lies at the foot of Mount Etna, is in the middle of nowhere; there’s a sizable garage right next to the main building and plenty of space.
“I don’t need to pay for a special garage for these cars,” he explains.
“I’m here at the restaurant most of the time, and we wouldn’t need the space here for anything else anyway, so it makes sense to use it for the cars.”
What’s inside the collection
The collection is varied, but it mostly revolves around Italian brands, back when Italian brands were truly Italian before Fiat became FCA and then Stellantis.
Among others, he owns several Fiats, including a couple of old-school Pandas and an ex-taxi Regata (below), along with a Lancia race car.
He also owns some ‘foreign’ cars, including a vintage G-Wagen, which he uses quite regularly, and a 1976 Jeep CJ3B.
But – no surprise here – his heart beats just a bit faster for the Italian cars he owns.
