'These cars are art': FSK Antique Car Club showcases classics
Aug. 22—Vernon Keeler stood at the back of his 1923 Ford Model T, flipping through the yellowed pages of a well-loved photo album.
The pictures chronicled the nine-month restoration journey he took with the car back in 2005. After retiring from a career in carpentry, Keeler dove into his lifelong love for automobiles. And the Model T was special.
"They say it put the world on wheels," he said, grinning.
Keeler, a member of the Francis Scott Key Antique Car Club, was one of dozens of proud owners at the club's 36th annual car show on Saturday. Classic rock floated over the grounds of Rose Hill Manor Park as people milled through the colorful rows of vehicles, pointing and smiling.
"These cars are art," said Mike Bernoi, who brought a 1974 MGB. "It's the lines, the handling, they're so much fun to drive."
Keeler agreed. The magic of classic cars is in the artistry and ingenuity that was required to build them all those years ago, he said. He took care to preserve as much of the original Model T as possible, down to the two-inch metal handles on the tailgate.
He has several other classic and antique cars, he said. He was nearly moved to tears remembering the reactions he'd gotten from awe-struck spectators when driving the Model T down a back road in Indiana.
"You wanna talk about giving you goosebumps ..." he said, trailing off and shaking his head.
Registration fees from the event benefited the Alzheimer's Association of Western Maryland, Frederick Health Hospice and Rose Hill Manor Children's Museum.
The FSK antique car club meets at the Frederick Elks Lodge on the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m.
