About This Stamp
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. The stamps feature five iconic muscle cars: the 1966 Pontiac GTO, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda, and the 1970 Chevelle SS.
Artist Tom Fritz based his artwork on photographs of the cars, using bright-colored oil paints on hardboard to try to “capture the emotive quality” of each one. Growing up in Southern California, Fritz became familiar with the power of muscle cars and calls these paintings “a projection of my memories of the vehicles.”
Muscle Cars is the third issuance in the America on the Move series. The stamps were designed by art director Carl T. Herrman. The first two issuances in the series were 50s Sporty Cars (2005) and 50s Fins and Chrome (2008).
The Muscle Cars stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps in self-adhesive sheets of 20 (4 of each design). Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate.
"Shelby®” and "GT-500®” are registered trademarks of Carroll Shelby Licensing, Inc. used under license.
Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda are trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC.
General Motors Chevelle and Pontiac Trademarks used under license to the USPS.
MUSTANG is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.
Stamp Art Director, Stamp Designer
Carl T. Herrman
As an art director for the U.S. Postal Service® for more than 15 years, Carl T. Herrman designed more than 50 stamps and guided more than 250 stamp projects, including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, and Comic Strip Classics. He also served as art director for five of the Celebrate the Century stamp panes. He has won more than 260 awards for design and design management, including two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators.
Herrman’s career has included positions as Director of Creative Services and adjunct professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and Director of Marketing and Publications for the University of California at Irvine. He has provided consulting services for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and numerous academic institutions. Herrman lives in Carlsbad,California.
Stamp Artist
Tom Fritz
Raised in the 1960s and ‘70s in San Fernando, California, Tom Fritz’s vivid recollections of the motorcycle and automotive cultures of the time shaped the motor sport artist he would become.
For more than 20 years after graduating with a degree in two-dimensional art from California State University Northridge, Fritz worked as a designer and illustrator in the defense industry (ITT, Litton Industries, and Northrop Grumman) while accepting freelance commissions on his own time. Today, he paints from his studio in Ventura County, California.
After producing the widely acclaimed 1998 Harley-Davidson Annual Report series, Fritz was commissioned by Harley-Davidson in 2001 to paint an image commemorating their 100th anniversary. He has painted portraits of Harley-Davidson executives and has been commissioned to capture in art the history of the well-known motorcycle company.
One of the pre-eminent motor sport artists of his time, Fritz’s style is renowned for the narrative drama he brings to his work, illuminating the relationship between man and machine. He gives his structured and richly colored compositions an impressionistic feel, taking his subject matter beyond the traditional limitations of its genre.
In recognition of his work, Fritz is a seven-time recipient of the Automotive Fine Arts Society’s prestigious Peter Helck Award and is a member of the induction committee for Mattel’s Hot Wheels Hall of Fame at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
Fritz’s work can be found in many private and corporate collections around the world including those of General Motors, Ford Motor Company, the Automobile Association of America, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and Pittsburgh Paint and Glass.
Fritz’s first stamp designs for the U.S. Postal Service, Muscle Cars (2013), were followed by his stamp designs for Pony Cars (2022).