Inside the Naples Car Scene with Collector Pat Mullaney
When visiting Naples for the first time, it doesn’t take long to notice that this city runs on wheels. On any given day, you’ll likely see a classic convertible cruising Fifth Avenue, a Ferrari parked outside a coffee shop, or a crowd gathering around a rare model at one of the region’s weekly shows. And one person who happens to know this world inside and out is John Patrick Mullaney—known to most simply as Pat. A collector, racer, and longtime member of the Naples car community, Mullaney sat down with us to share his story, some favorites in his collection, and his take on why Florida’s Paradise Coast is the place to be if you love cars.
a life driven by cars
"I started working on cars when I was 12,” Mullaney explains. The first car he ever owned was a $300 fixer-upper, bought with money he earned himself. “My dad said, ‘Fix it up if you want a car.’ So I did, and it kind of snowballed from there.”
That snowball became a lifelong passion. “My car collection is a little unusual because I don't tend to focus on one model or particular genre,” he says. “I try to go for cars that have some meaning or significance to me.” Today, his garage holds 18 cars—including a Maserati 3500 GT Spyder once owned by actor Guy Williams. Restoring it took three years and involved help from Maserati Classiche in Italy, who provided original paint materials, including a can of crushed seashells.
Eventually, Mullaney’s interest landed on cars he could actually race. Over the years, he’s moved from MG Midgets to Porsches to Ferrari Challenge cars. “It’s a passion. I still get enjoyment from it, and I love sharing it with other people.”
building bonds through the car community
That shared enthusiasm is precisely what makes Naples such a stronghold for car lovers. “We have a very active show season here,” he notes. “There’s almost a Cars & Coffee or show of some type in this town—and certainly in Southwest Florida—every single week.”
Events like Cars on 5th draw crowds from across the country, with up to 50,000 attendees for this particular event each year. But what really makes Florida’s Paradise Coast stand out? “People in this part of the world don’t just take a car to a show and dump it,” Mullaney says. “They stay right there with their car, and they will talk to people about it and share stories with people who’ve had the same car. That’s what makes it a wonderful community.”
a unique place to be a colleCtor
Years of travel across the U.S. and Europe have given Mullaney perspective—and a deep appreciation for where he lives now. “Collier County is one of those rare jewels in this country,” he says. “It really is a rare place in terms of the people and the culture around the automobile that exists here.”
The area also boasts access that few places can match. “I can’t think of any other town in the world that has a Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and Bugatti dealership,” he says. “We have one of the best sets of dealerships, service centers, and craftsmen anywhere in the country.”
Even on an average weekday, car talk is easy to find. “Go down the street to Badass Coffee on any given day,” he says. “I walk my dog down there, and almost every other day, I find somebody I can stop and chat with because they’ve parked a really cool car out front. It’s part of the scene here.”
the future of car culture
For Mullaney, cars are deeply personal. His 1965 Austin Healey 3000 Mark III has been in his life for 46 years. “It’s part of the family...my wife says I’m going to be buried in it,” he laughs.
He knows not every collector shares the same attachments, but for him, sentiment often outweighs specs. “Some of the cars I collect might not be the most powerful car, but they were the car that was the epitome of what was going on at that time.”
Still, he’s aware of how the culture is shifting. “You meet so many people where cars have been an integral part of their growing up, and it usually has something to do with working on them,” he says. “Today, we kind of miss it because the younger generation doesn’t get the opportunity to experience picking up a wrench.”
That said, he’s hopeful. “Gaming is helping. Young people are getting interested because they’re exposed to cars in that way, and they want to know more.”
His advice to newcomers? Start small. Attend events. Ask questions. And when you’re ready to buy or sell? “Do your homework. Learn as much as you can, and talk to people who’ve done it before. It’s like investing in stocks…you have to be willing to take some risks. Plug yourself in, educate yourself, dive headfirst.”
Whether it’s for the stories, the performance, the friendships—or maybe all three— Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades offers something few places can. For car lovers of every kind, ONLY Paradise will do.