USPS “Muscle Cars Forever” Stamps

Don’t you just hate the U.S. Postal Service?! Just weeks after announcing that Saturday mail delivery is dead on arrival come August, it releases a fresh batch of postal stamps that are designed to catch the attention of automotive enthusiasts everywhere.

New Release

On Friday, the USPS used the backdrop of the upcoming Daytona 500 race to have seven-time NASAR winner Richard Petty unveil its newest series of stamps: Muscle Cars Forever.

Those stamps highlighted five of the hottest muscle cars of a bygone era, coupes released in the late 1960s that still have a big impact on us today. Yes, the release of this series may actually prompt people to start sending letters again. Not!

Pontiac GTO stampShelby GT 500 stamp Dodge Charger stampPlymouth Cuda stamp Chevelle SS stamp

Petty was on hand with his son, Kyle, and USPS General Patrick Donahue as they unveiled the limited edition series at the Daytona Raceway. Muscle cars are defined as those models equipped with powerful engines, vehicles that began to roll out in the mid-1960s and enjoyed an approximated 10-year run.

Stricter pollution emissions requirements and other EPA mandates eventually killed the segment, but a revival has been seen in recent years with the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger now in production.

Muscle Cars

Although the Postal Service featured five cars in its current collection, there is bound to some noise from a certain sector as their cars were not featured. For the record, the USPS served up five capable models: the 1966 Pontiac GTO, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda and the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS.

Absent from the release were the 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1, the 1969 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro, the early 1970s Buick Gran Sport, AMC Javelin, Olds 442 and Mercury Cyclone CJ. Maybe the USPS has a follow-up collection in mind. If not, then they really should do so.

Richard Petty

Despite the apparent shortcoming in models offered, Richard Petty was gracious in his comments following the series introduction. Said Petty, Just looking at the stamps evokes a feeling of speed. As Forever stamps, they’ll always be good for mailing a First-Class letter anytime in the future.

Okay, we get it the USPS really needs for you to buy these stamps as the postal service is deeply in debt and is struggling to fund its retirement obligations. Although its pension fund appears sound, everything else about the USPS says clearly, Please buy these stamps!

This is the third time that the USPS has featured classic cars, part of its America on the Move series. The Muscle Cars Forever stamps were created by Tom Fritz of Newbury Park, CA, under the art direction of Carl T. Herrman of North Las Vegas, NV.

The previous two issuances ’50s Sporty Cars (2005), followed by ’50s Fins and Chrome (2008) were the work of artist Art Fitzpatrick of Carlsbad, CA. Lets hope that there isn’t such a long interval between future releases.

Forever Stamps

Because the new stamps are forever stamps the price is currently fixed at 46 cents each or $9.20 for a sheet of 20 stamps. When you buy forever stamps, you can use them even as prices rise.

So, when stamps cost $10 each, these iconic classics can still be used, offering a tribute to the first wave of muscle cars to hit the shores of autodom. Yes, I’m buying these stamps too who can resist?!


See Also – Raw to the Core: 2014 Dodge Challenger SRT

Matthew Keegan
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