The Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard is putting the brakes on its operations for good.
The announcement of the auto museum closing comes after the executive director, David Neel, decided to step away.
Neel says the non-profit that runs the museum is taking up too much of his already limited time
“I just don’t want to do it anymore because it’s a free position, and I already have a real job,” said Neel.
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The car enthusiast admits it’s a shame, especially just months after the city of Oxnard lost its other car collection, the Mullin Automotive Museum, after its founder passed away.
As gas combustion engines are beginning to slip into history with the advent of electric vehicles, places like Murphy Auto Museum in small towns like Oxnard are few and far in between.
"The fact that we're a public museum that has cars in it? That's pretty rare," said Neel.
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According to Neel, Murphy's last day will be July 7. Most of the cars will return to their private owners where they likely won't be accessible to the public anymore.
The museum's own vehicles are up for sale, and Neel says he's still looking for someone to take over the non-profit.
