Newport Car Museum Exceeds Expectations Of Car Enthusiasts

PORTSMOUTH, RI – It’s an automotive art museum filled with colorful artifacts that are displayed in seven distinct galleries. The exhibits weigh far too much and are much too large to easily hang on the walls or be parked on granite pedestals. Most likely had their origins as clay models in design studios in Detroit and around the world.

More than 100 models are found inside the Newport Car Museum, a number that has grown substantially since it opened in June 2017, and each fulfills the purpose of showing off automobiles as artwork. 

“We’re always upgrading. When we opened, we had 55 cars. We’re now at about 102 cars,” said the museum’s resident expert Vincent Moretti when RIDE-CT visited recently.

Check out RIDE-CT’s YouTube video of the Newport Car Museum…

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The museum’s building is nearly three acres in size and the display area covers more than 80,000 square feet. More than 50,000 visitors pay admission annually.

“We’re always about art, colors, how things are positioned, what color goes with what color on the wall,” Moretti explained as he stood in the gallery devoted to Porsches. “We constantly have the same goal and we haven’t deviated from that goal.”

The Newport Car Museum was conceived by founders Gunther and Maggie Buerman, and shows off their private car collection of high-end and rare models. Moretti noted Buerman’s hands-on status.

“He curates his own museum. He knows what he wants and the cars are all very special and they’re all original colors. Some have been restored but if they’re restored, they’re back to the original color, and it’s all Gunther. It’s his museum and he decides what he wants to display,” Moretti explained.

Galleries inside the museum are devoted to Porsches, world cars, muscle cars, Mopar models, cars with fins, Chevrolet Corvettes and Ford Shelbys. “We’re pretty complete as far as our repertoire of cars,” said Moretti. 

Among the rarities, exotics and beauties are a 1965 Ford Shelby 427 SC Cobra, a 1954 Kaiser Darrin 161, a 1989 Lamborghini Countach, a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1957 BMW Isetta and a 1954 Buick Skylark convertible in bright yellow.  

1965 Ford Shelby 427 SC Cobra, 1954 Kaiser Darrin and 1989 Lamborghini Countach

When RIDE-CT first visited the museum in 2019, the value of the Cobra was pegged at $4.5 million. Its value today? 

“You know, I can’t tell you. I don’t know whether it’s gone up or down,” said Moretti. “It really depends on what somebody wants to pay for it. Certainly in the multiple of millions. I think it’s the most valuable car in the museum. It’s a true ’65 427 SC Cobra. Very rare car. One of 31.”

The Kaiser Darrin might be the most eye-catching because of its styling and features. It’s “a very unusual car. Has sliding pocket doors. And the designer, Darrin, was trained in France in the ’20s. His designs have a lot of art deco going on in the car. Pretty cool, unusual car,” Moretti said.

What are the most popular cars with visitors?

“The ’54 Buick Skylark is just a wonderful car. The ’54 Corvette is a great car. People just love that car. Those two cars probably some of the favorites. And the Countach, the Lamborghini Countach for the 40- to 60-year-olds. That’s the car,” he said.

1954 Buick Skylark convertible and 1954 Chevrolet Corvette

Since opening, the Newport Car Museum has become a destination for classic and modern car enthusiasts.

“It’s exceeded our expectations because we had no real expectations. It was put together as a project of love, of cars, and we had no idea whether anybody would come or not, so we had no real expectations, but looking back it’s been very rewarding for us,” said Moretti.

“People come here, they look at the cars, their personal problems are in the parking lot and they come here and they reminisce, and for two hours they’re free of whatever.”   

The Newport Car Museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults, $17 for students and $10 for children 5 to 12 years old.

Here’s a gallery of some of the more than 100 cars in the Newport Car Museum…

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(Photos by Bud Wilkinson)