US Postal Service Honors Classic Detroit Pickups in New Stamp Series
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The United States Postal Service will feature four classic American pickup trucks later this year on its new Forever postage stamps. The four vehicles are a delightful cross-section of classic Detroit trucks: a 1953 Chevy; 1965 Ford F-100; 1938 International Harvester; and 1948 Ford F-1. All four trucks were illustrated by artist Chris Lyons - opens in new window or tab., who faithfully captures the beauty of these classic trucks.
Lyons was thrilled to be selected as the illustrator for the series. He has been a professional illustrator since 2001. After being selected by USPS, it was a two-year process to develop and produce the stamps. Lyons estimated that it took him about 200 hours to research the trucks. For the Chevy, his favorite, he used a 1:18 scale model as reference.
The USPS truck series in 2016 follows the depiction of two 1932 Ford deuces - opens in new window or tab. on stamps in 2014.
This year’s selection of four pickups includes a 1953 Chevrolet, which was rolled out from the marque’s Advance-Design Series, released between 1947 and 1955. The 1953 model was the last year utilizing a split-windshield and a front grille with five horizontal slats. In 1954, the grille design took on a bullnose shape.
Illustrations courtesy of United States Postal Service. ©2016 USPS.
The 1938 International-Harvester D2 was designed in an Art Deco style. Enthusiasts take delight in the slanted hood with standalone headlights and swoopy fenders. The stainless steel trim on the pointed hood add some flash. Lyons used the red body—with black fenders whitewall tires—to great effect.
Ford’s 1948 F-1 was the first new truck design for the Blue Oval after World War Two. The truck utilized a specific purpose-designed rugged chassis rather than borrowing from the previous car-based chassis. The F-1, which was a half-ton model with a short bed, used a flat one-piece windshield with the headlights integrated into the grille.
The 1965 Ford F-100 (shown at the top of this page) introduced the Twin I-Beam suspension. Lyons's illustration even captures the insignia on the front-quarter noting the new suspension. The Twin I-Beam, matched with coil springs, was an attempt to give the truck a more comfortable ride. It would continue to be employed through 1979. This independent front suspension helped Ford dominate the consumer truck market during that era. The F-100 was Ford’s half-ton model that could be had with a choice of two straight-six engines or a 352 ci V-8.
The postage stamp truck series is the deal of a century: just $1.96 for a single set of four stamps. The USPS hasn’t announced a specific release date, but definitely sometime in 2016.
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