Tag Archives: cars

Allentown and Bethlehem Post Offices Celebrate Muscle Cars Forever Stamps

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Muscle Cars (click to order)We have good news for all you Muscle Cars fans: A special pictorial postmark commemorating the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show—and highlighting the recently issued Muscle Cars Forever® stamps—will be available this Thursday, March 21, through Sunday, March 24.

The auto show will take place on the South Mountain campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. To obtain the postmark, come to the West Pavilion, on the grounds with Stabler Arena and Rauch Field House.

After the event, share pictures of your postmarks with stamps fans across the country. Just look for us on Twitter and Instagram.

1967 Shelby GT-500 Rounds Out Muscle Car Stamps

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Let’s start this weekend off right: Here’s the fifth and final of the 2013 Muscle Cars stamps, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, a take on the Ford Mustang that reflected manufacturer Carroll Shelby’s roots as a racecar driver.

"Shelby®” and "GT-500®” are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. used under license. MUSTANG is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

“Shelby®” and “GT-500®” are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. used under license. MUSTANG is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.

The 1967 Shelby GT-500 was powered by a 428-cubic-inch, 355-horsepower Police Interceptor engine. The car also featured a rear spoiler and optional dealer-installed LeMans stripes. Rocker panel stripes came standard on the 1967 Shelby GT-500, which also sported grille-mounted headlights. A scooped fiberglass hood, extended nose, and interior roll bar and shoulder harnesses further enhanced the racecar feel.

The 1967 Shelby GT-500 was more than just a racer. The improved suspension softened the ride, resulting in a vehicle that was comfortable to drive on the highway as well as on the track. The car was both striking and rare; only 2,048 were built. A customized or original version of the 1967 Shelby GT-500 has appeared in contemporary movies and magazines, rekindling American pop culture’s fascination with the model. In 2007, Ford reintroduced the Shelby GT-500 into the Mustang model lineup.

The Muscle Cars Forever® stamps will be issued in February. (Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.) Follow us on for up-to-the-minute stamp news, event announcements, and your chance to vote for your favorite muscle car!

Pontiac GTO Roars Onto New Muscle Cars Stamps

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The Pontiac GTO ushered in the era of the American muscle car in the 1960s, just as baby boomers began to come of age. In 2013, the GTO will roar in again as one of five new Muscle Cars stamps.

General Motors Chevelle and Pontiac Trademarks used under license to the USPS.

General Motors Chevelle and Pontiac Trademarks used under license to the USPS.

The first GTO was born when engineers dropped a 389-cubic-inch V8 engine, which was built for a full-size sedan, into an intermediate-size Pontiac Tempest LeMans. Initially offered simply as an option on the Tempest LeMans, the GTO—which in Italian stood for Gran Turismo Omologato, or in English, Grand Touring Homologated—became its own model in 1966.

Available as a hardtop, coupe, or convertible, the 1966 Pontiac GTO was equipped with a standard 335-horsepower V8 engine. The “Goat” could really move; in tests, it went from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds. It also looked much different than its predecessors. Starting in 1966, the car featured curvy Coke-bottle styling and a split grille. That model year, sales of the distinctive GTO peaked.

We’ve revealed four of the Muscle Cars stamps so far. Tune in tomorrow to see the fifth and final stamp!

1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Revealed on Third of Five Muscle Cars Stamps

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“Our angriest, slipperiest-looking body shell wrapped around ol’ King Kong hisself.” That’s how one ad described the bold and powerful 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda. We are pleased to announce that this performance-oriented alter-ego of the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda is the third of five vehicles featured on the soon-to-be-released Muscle Cars stamps.

Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda are trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC.

Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda are trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC.

Part of what Plymouth called “The Rapid Transit System,” the 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda featured a 426-cubic-inch Hemi engine that was a 425-horsepower beast. The car oozed power.

One of its more audacious features was a Shaker hood scoop, which vibrated as air flowed through to the engine’s two four-barrel carburetors. The car’s styling was an extension of its bold ethos. It was available in a variety of eye-popping color choices, such as Lemon Twist, Lime Light, and Vitamin C. Hockey-stick shaped stripes denoting engine size, a shifter handle shaped like a pistol grip, and bucket seats were also offered. The model is also a rare specimen: Fewer than 700 were produced.

Can you guess which two cars will round out this exciting set of five stamps?

Second of Five Muscle Cars Stamps Revealed

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Let’s continue our special sneak peek of the limited-edition Muscle Cars Forever® stamps today with the second of the five stamps: the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona.

Dodge Charger Daytona is a trademark of Chrysler Group LLC.

Dodge Charger Daytona is a trademark of Chrysler Group LLC.

The outrageously styled 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was designed to dominate on the racetrack. The car, which underwent wind-tunnel testing before its release, took the checkered flag at its NASCAR debut in September 1969 at Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega.

The production version of the car was powered by a standard 440-cubic-inch, 375-horsepower Magnum engine. A limited number of Daytonas were also available with a 426-cubic-inch Hemi, a race-inspired engine Chrysler introduced earlier that decade. (Chrysler first used a version of the Hemi—a high-performance engine with hemispherical combustion chambers—in automobiles in the 1950s.)

Concealed headlights, fender-mounted scoops, a nearly two-foot tall, rear-mounted wing, and an 18-inch nose piece helped boost aerodynamics. Other signature touches were thick body stripes containing the word “DAYTONA.”

The distinctive vehicles were not easy to come by. In order to qualify for NASCAR racing, at least 500 Daytonas had to be made available for purchase. Only 503 were produced.

The Muscle Cars stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. (Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.) They are the third issuance in the American on the Move series and will be released in February. To see the other stamps in the series, visit Beyond the Perf.

We’ll reveal another of the five Muscle Car stamps tomorrow. Any guesses about which car might be featured?