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Mustang, Camaro, Challenger gallop onto USPS pony car postage stamp set

Some of America's most iconic cars are about to be immortalized on postage stamps. A new set by the U.S. Postal Service will celebrate the the golden era of pony cars, featuring five classic examples of Detroit iron. Each one is beautifully illustrated in oil-on-canvas style, with subjects in motion and sunlight glinting off the chrome, and would add a nice touch to any first-class letter. The pony car segment was all about (relatively) small, sporty alternatives to the full-size land yachts of the 1960s. They typically came equipped with 6-cylinder engines or small-block V8s. The category was named after the Ford Mustang, hence  the name. Some, though, argue that the Plymouth Barracuda, which was launched a couple of weeks before the Mustang, is the first. Luckily, the Falcon-based Mustang's distinct styling generated a sales sensation, or we might be calling them fish cars. Appropriately, one of the featured cars is a Mustang. But it's not just any Mustang. The 1969 Boss 302, seen here resplendent in Bright Yellow, was created for the hotly-contested SCCA Trans-Am racing series. One of its main rivals would have been the 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28, also created specifically for the series, and is included in the set in Fathom Green. Representing Auburn Hills in the set is a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T in Plum Crazy, while Southfield's American Motors gets a nod with an AMC Javelin in Big Bad Orange. The Mustang's platform cousin, a 1967 Mercury Cougar XR-7, is portrayed in a gorgeous Burgundy Poly that almost looks incomplete without Neko Case on the hood. It's not the first time the USPS has honored America's rich car culture on its stamps. In 2013, it issues a series of muscle car stamps with the help of Richard Petty. That set featured a 1966 Pontiac GTO, 1967 Shelby GT-500, 1970 Chevelle SS, 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda and, of course, a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. Another set in 2016 featured classic pickup trucks. Going further back, a 2008 release had chroed and finned automobiles of the 1950s and a 2005 release featured sporty American cars of the same era. The pony car stamps will debut on August 25 at the Great American Stamp Show in Sacramento, California in partnership with the American Philatelic Society. The public is free to attend the dedication ceremony, but you must RSVP first. After that, they will be available at local post offices and on line at the USPS store.

More than 5,500 people tried to get the 2016 Chevy COPO Camaro

It's stating the obvious, but the 2016 Chevy COPO Camaro is popular with enthusiasts. So much so, it's attracted more than 5,500 hand raisers, General Motors said Tuesday at an event to show off the company's new Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, MI. Unfortunately for drag racing fans, Chevy will only sell 69 of them, as it has for the last four years. The COPO Camaro can be configured for the NHRA Stock and Super Stock classes. It comes with racing-tuned chassis pieces and a solid rear axle. Power choices include 5.7-, 6.2- and 7.0-liter V8 engines. About half of COPO Camaro owners race their cars, and the rest keep them as collectibles. Jim Campbell, GM vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, wouldn't say if the COPO is a profitable venture, but noted the fire-breathing dragster raises the image of Chevy and Camaro. "It makes sense for our business from a number of perspectives," he said. The first COPO Camaro, a Courtney Force-styled racecar that was revealed in November at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, hammered for $300,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction last month. The proceeds went to the United Way. Campbell said low COPO production keeps interest high. Enthusiasts can also build their own COPOs by buying a rolling chassis and a crate motor, though those are not viewed by collectors in the same manner as GM factory-built creations. The COPO Camaro's V8 is one of several competition engines designed, built, and validated at the GM Performance and Racing Center. The Corvette C7R's 5.5-liter V8 and the Cadillac ATSV.R's 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 are two more. Chevy calibrates and conducts dynamometer testing on its 2.2-liter V6 for IndyCar and performs design work on its NASCAR V8 at the facility, which existed previously at another location in Michigan. Related Video:

GM forced to cut truck production amid semiconductor shortage

WASHINGTON — General Motors said Wednesday it will cut some truck production in North America because of the ongoing global semiconductor shortage. The largest U.S. automaker said its Flint Assembly plant that builds the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks will operate on one production shift the week of July 26. GM said its Ft. Wayne Assembly plant in Indiana that builds the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 model trucks will be idled next week. GM's Silao Assembly plant in Mexico that also builds the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Cheyenne (for the Mexico market) and GMC Sierra 1500 will also suspend production next week. All three plants are expected to resume regular production the week of August 2. Related video: