U.S. Postal Service unveils truck stamp designs

International Harvester, Ford and Chevrolet are among classic pickup truck makers whose models are to be celebrated this year in a special line of the U.S. Postal Service’s Forever stamps. The stamps will be available later this year, Postal Service reps say, though an exact date has yet to be determined.

The origin of the pickup truck can be traced back to the early 20th century, when automobiles first became popular in the United States. By the early 1900s, several manufacturers first began producing light-duty cab & chassis in limited numbers.

International Harvester supplied and maintained trucks on stateside military bases during World War I. In 1917, Ford released the Model TT, which had a one-ton chassis. For 1918, Chevrolet introduced the Model 490 truck. But because drivers had to purchase their own cargo beds and bodies, these vehicles weren’t considered true pickup trucks, rather more akin to the build-out model of vocational vehicles today.

The first fully factory assembled pickup truck didn’t arrive until the 1925 Ford Model T Runabout with Pick-Up Body made its debut. A fortified version of Ford’s landmark Model T, it had a base price of $281, featured a steel bed, and was powered by a modest 20-horsepower engine. Ford sold nearly 34,000 Model T pickups, helping jumpstart the popularity of pickup trucks.

The new stamp designs feature the following models:

Part of its 1930s D line of pickups, the 1938 International Harvester D-2 had a distinct barrel-shaped grille, and its elegant styling mirrored the look of luxury automobiles of the era. © 2016 USPS

• Also known as the “Bonus Built” line, Ford’s original F series trucks came with the famous “built stronger to last longer” advertising campaign. This 1948 Ford F-1 included features like the roomy “Million Dollar Cab,” a sharp horizontal five-bar grille and a six cylinder engine. © 2016 USPS

• The 1953 Chevrolet, part of its 1947-introduced “Advance-Design Series,” featured large windshields and provided drivers with excellent visibility, a distinctive curvy grille that bulged in the middle and a six-cylinder engine. © 2016 USPS

• For the 1965 model, Ford’s F-Series pickups got a facelift. The 1965 Ford F-100 had a new grille that featured 18 small rectangular openings. It also featured what Ford dubbed the “Twin-I-Beam” independent front suspension, greatly improving the quality of the ride. © 2016 USPS

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