by Tom Chillemi –
The 26th annual Wings, Wheels and Keels (WW&K) at Hummel Field airport in Topping on Sept. 24 drew an estimated 3,800 people.
The story behind the car
Every car has a story. And how WW&K exhibitor Melvin Veney’s Maserati came to be parked in a field at WW&K with millions of dollars worth of exotic and antique vehicles is an unusual one. “I didn’t see this car until it came in my driveway,” he said.
No, he didn’t buy it online — his wife did! “He’s always working and driving a work truck and we felt he needed a car,” said his wife Caroline. And what a car she chose — a 2018 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible.
Their son did the research, found it online, made the deal and planned a surprise, she explained.
Then one day an unmarked trailer showed up at his work. When the trailer’s tailgate was lowered, out rolled a gleaming white four-seat convertible. Melvin was speechless. “I just stared, amazed.”
Melvin is a hard worker, he’s still at it at age 72 running Veney’s Heating and Air in Kilmarnock in Lancaster County. And when it’s time to shed his work clothes and take his wife out, they go in style.
Liam Loving of Deltaville ran from car to car taking photos during WW&K. At the age of 9 he has good taste in cars. He liked a Mustang and the Maserati, but his favorite was the dark blue Lamborghini Gallardo. It was exhibited by Jason and Heather Hall of Williamsburg, who let him sit behind the wheel and dream of driving a mid-engine Italian supercar.
“My friends on the bus are going to be jealous,” said Loving, as he scurried to take photos of the 215 vehicles on display.
