GARDENA, CA--February 26, 2013: Carroll Shelby Licensing Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc. (CSBI.PK), Automotive Fine Arts Society member Tom Fritz and the United States Postal Service unveiled a new Forever stamp featuring a 1967 Shelby GT500 from the Muscle Car Stamp series. Created by award-winning artist Tom Fritz under the art direction of Carl T. Herrman, the Guardsmen Blue with Wimbledon White stripes Shelby is one of five stamps in the U.S. Postal Service's Forever stamps collection.
“It was a tremendous honor to be the artist chosen to create the Muscle Car Stamps. Now my work will be among the special Forever stamps that people will collect and pass down from generation to generation.”
"The '67 Shelby GT500 is one of the most celebrated muscle cars in the world," said Tracey Smith, Carroll Shelby Licensing president. "Carroll Shelby's father was a postal worker and allowed him to ride around on his mail runs, so we're excited to see one of his automobiles being featured in such a prestigious collection from the U.S. Post Office. It's a beautiful tribute to the legacy of Carroll Shelby and his contributions to automotive history."
The '67 GT500 featured on the stamp honors the original muscle car manufactured by Shelby American. Powered by a 428-cubic-inch, 355-horsepower Police Interceptor engine, the monstrous Shelby featured a rear spoiler, grille-mounted headlights and rocker panel stripes. With only 2,048 built in 1967, the Shelby GT500 is both exceptional and rare.
The 1967 Shelby GT500 is one of five vehicles featured in the Muscle Car Forever stamps series, which were unveiled at the Daytona 500 by racing legends Richard and Kyle Petty, and U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Muscle Car Forever stamps are the third issuance in the "America on the Move" stamp series from the U.S. Postal Service.
"The '67 Shelby is as legendary as the man who built it, so I wanted to keep with the traditional paint scheme and iconic look of one of the most popular muscle cars of all time," added Fritz. "It was a tremendous honor to be the artist chosen to create the Muscle Car Stamps. Now my work will be among the special Forever stamps that people will collect and pass down from generation to generation."
Recently, Fritz teamed up with Carroll Shelby Licensing on a painting titled "Carroll Shelby," which is currently available for purchase as canvas print editions and posters. Originally commissioned by Road & Track to create a piece for its August 2012 issue, Fritz captured the essence of Shelby's past and present in his beautifully-crafted masterpiece.
A portion of the proceeds generated by the sale of the "Carroll Shelby" painting will benefit the Carroll Shelby Foundation, which was established by Mr. Shelby to provide financial support for children battling life-threatening diseases and to promote continuing education.
