# 4743-47 - 2013 First-Class Forever Stamp - Muscle Cars

U.S. # 4743-47
2013 46¢ Muscle Cars
Strip of Five
America on the Move Series

In the mid-1960s, Pontiac modified its Tempest model by adding a 389-cubic-inch V8 engine.  In a flash, the modest family car had become a pulse-racing GTO and muscle car’s golden era began.
 
Powerful engines weren’t new, and neither were fast cars.  What was different about muscle cars was the combination of big engines packed into mid-size cars that allowed for powerful acceleration.  Due to mass production, high performance cars that once were a rarity only to be enjoyed by European playboys became vehicles average Americans could own.  The first muscle cars could go from zero to sixty miles per hour in less than seven seconds – an incredible feat for the time.
 
Stock car and NASCAR racing also played roles in muscle cars’ heyday.  Inspired by the souped-up cars favored by moonshine runners, races were soon staged on dirt tracks and beach courses.  America fell in love with speed, and Detroit was happy to fulfill its needs. In addition to advancing automobile technology, engineers also developed critical safety features such as shoulder harnesses similar to modern seat belts.
 
Government regulation, gas prices, and soaring insurance premiums led to the demise of the muscle car era in the early ”˜70s.  But catch a glimpse of one rumbling at a stoplight and you’ll know... deep in our hearts, our love for fast cars never really died.
  
Carl T. Herrman designed all five Muscle Car stamps, using the oil-on-hardboard paintings by artist Tom Fritz.  Each of the stamps pictures a stylish car in action.

Value: 46¢ First-Class letter rate
Issued:  February 22, 2013
First Day City:  Daytona Beach, FL – at the Sprint Fanzone at the Daytona International Speedway
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Avery Dennison
Method: Photogravure printing in sheets of 200, in 10 panes of 20
Perforation: Serpentine Die Cut ¾
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 35,000,000 stamps

The 2013 Muscle Car stamps are the third set in the America on the Move series.  The series began in 2005 with stamps picturing 1950s Sporty Cars and continued in 2008 with 1950s fins and chrome. 

America On The Move Series

On August 20, 2005, the USPS issued the first stamps in a nostalgic series honoring classic cars.

Automobiles of all sorts have been featured on US stamps for years.  One of the first US stamps to picture an automobile was US #296, issued for the Pan-American Exposition.  The stamp pictured an early electric automobile used for passenger service by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. 

Since then, the USPS issued dozens more stamps honoring cars – from antique vehicles of the 1800s to early electric autos to the stylish cars of the mid-1900s.  Cars have long been a popular topic on stamps, so in 2005, the USPS introduced a new series honoring the stylish cars of the 50s, 60s, and 70s – America on the Move. 

The first stamps in the series honored 50s Sporty Cars – the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, 1954 Kaiser Darrin, 1952 Nash-Healey, 1953 Studebaker Starliner, and the 1955 Ford Thunderbird.  The stamps were dedicated at the Michigan State Fair in Detroit on August 20, 2005.  During the ceremony, the deputy postmaster general proclaimed, “Automobiles have always been a clever way of celebrating our American history and culture.  These cars are a perfect reminder of the 1950s and America’s optimism that the nation’s future was looking bright.” 

The stamps were designed by Carl Herman and their artwork was provided by Art Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick had previously been an advertising designer and illustrator for General Motors.  He also designed the Packard four-door convertible and hardtop sedans when he was only 20 years old.  Additionally, he built custom cars for notable entertainers Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, and Al Jolson.

The second set of stamps in the America on the Move Series was issued on October 3, 2008, at the Fall Carlisle Collector Car Swap Meet and Corral in Carlisle Pennsylvania.  The set, titled “50s Fins and Chrome,” pictured a 1957 Chrysler 300C, a 1957 Lincoln Premiere, a 1957 Pontiac Safari, a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk and a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. 

Speaking about the stamps, which were again illustrated by Fitzpatrick, a USPS representative said, “Automotive history is brilliantly illustrated on these awesome stamps.  We are proud to feature these classic cars on stamps here at the mecca of car shows.”  Flamboyant tail fins and shiny chrome accents were hallmarks of the 1950s cars that heralded the dawn of the space age in America.

The third set of stamps in the series, titled “Muscle Cars,” was issued on February 22, 2013, at the Daytona International Speedway – two days before the Daytona 500.  The stamps, with art by Tom Fritz, pictured the 1966 Pontiac GTO, 1967 Shelby GT-500, 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, 1970 Plymouth Hemi ”˜Cuda, and 1970 Chevelle SS. 

In speaking about the stamps, the USPS said, “The Muscle Cars stamps celebrate an exciting era in American automotive history.  Typically equipped with big, powerful engines, these high-performance vehicles first roared onto our roads in the 1960s.  Raw power has a stamp of its own, and these limited edition stamps feature five iconic muscle cars.” 

Click here for lots more car stamps.