It’s more of an art museum than a car museum.”

Gunther Buerman

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Curiosity meets the cars

Falling asleep on the job is typically a fireable offense. Maybe that’s why office chairs tend to have wheels — so no one gets too comfortable. A more comfortable chair might invite a rest. However, for a 90-year-old docent at the Newport Car Museum who took his job seriously, falling asleep wasn’t grounds for termination. 

Gunther Buerman, cofounder of the Newport Car Museum alongside his wife Maggie, recalled the “disorderly” conduct of one of the museum’s docents. He remembered that Bob Gross sat in a chair and fell asleep, and when he woke up, he confessed, with concern that he might be fired for his insubordination. “When he woke up, he was certain I would fire him,” Gunther said. “But he was wonderful at his job. He always dressed dapperly, wore a tie, and a sports coat,” Gunther remarked with enthusiasm. Gunther also recalled Bob’s early days at the museum, saying, “When he first began with us, I remember he said, ‘I don’t know anything about these cars.’ ”

This was Bob — someone who dressed in nice clothes, greeted visitors with grandiose tales of the cars and offered a dose of kindness. Though he passed away at age 92, he set the bar high for other docents at the Newport Car Museum —  a place that’s much more than just a car museum. 

The docents at the museum don’t actually need to know everything about the cars. What they offer is conversation, interaction, and lively engagement with visitors. They are as much a part of the experience as the cars. 

Vincent Moretti, the head docent, explained, “Most of the docents have been with us for the most part since we opened, unless they have passed away; and they are part of what makes it come alive.” 

It’s not just about the cars 

The comfortable chair Bob fell asleep in is a part of the art that inhabits the museum. Moretti described, “It is mostly mid-century modern furniture. They’re all, for the most part, pieces by famous designers from early in their careers.” He went on to talk about the significance of the functional art used for seating in the museum. He detailed, “Because the cars are art and people like to sit, we have the cars displayed so they can sit there and contemplate them, comfortably.”

“You can just wander around the museum, sit and relax, listen to rock music. It’s more of an art museum than a car museum,” explained Gunther. He went on to say that his vision for the museum was to make it interactive. The docents who offer conversation play a role in this. “Sometimes the guests at the museum know more about the cars than they do,” Gunther laughed. 

Gunther and his wife began the art museum almost on a whim. Since Gunther already had a collection of cars but was running low on space for them, he had a revelation one day. “One day I woke up and said to my wife, ‘Let’s sell the cars or turn them into a museum.’ ” They bought a building in 2017, moved the cars in, and have been adding new and interesting cars to the collection ever since.  

Check out some of the cars in the collection

Their vision was built on creating a modern art museum that would light up visitors with life. According to Gunther, the private collection of cars, the chairs, the art, the music and the lighting are all designed to allow people to come in and forget about the world outside. 

“We didn’t want velvet ropes. We wanted people to get close enough to look inside, so we put the cars on platforms that are only slightly elevated,” Gunther said. This helps people feel like they can be an interactive part of the museum experience. 

Gunther, who handpicks each car that gets added to the collection, went on to say, “Each car has a story, and finding the right car — even the right color — to add to the collection is always an adventure.” Though Gunther has been asked many times to choose a favorite car in the museum, he can’t pick just one. He answered, “I have three children, and if you ask me which one is my favorite, I can’t pick!”

“There is a smile on my face every day walking into the museum and seeing what we’ve put together and watching the smiles on people’s faces.” At every gallery, turntables, inanimate objects, videos, music, and docents all come together to create an experience that comes alive for visitors. 

Throughout the museum there are interesting elements that pop up bringing a burst of energy to the exhibit. A Little Tykes car sitting on one of the platforms that was given to Gunther on Father’s Day in 2020 is one of them.