Two designs in a booklet format, to be issued June 6 in York, Pa., according to the April 17th Postal Bulletin. This is NOT part of the “America On The Road” series that has featured classic autos in five-design booklets. The designs are shown on the right.

Digital Color Postmark and Pictorial first-day cancels added May 15th.
Technical Specifications and other Postal Bulletin information added May 16th.

The date coincides with the Street Rod Nationals East Plus at the York Expo Center: “East’s largest outdoor street rod show. More than 4,000 street rods, customs, muscle cars and specialty vehicles. Manufacturers exhibits, arts & crafts, model car contest, vintage parts swap meet, streets of rods, NSRA Super Prize program, parade, NSRA Safety Inspections, live entertainment, good food & more. Total family event. 19,000 attendees expected.” Street Rod Nationals East Plus is sponsored by the National Street Rod Association, and admission is $60-70! [However, the USPS announced on May 2nd that it has arranged for free admission to the first-day ceremony. See below.]

The date also coincides with the first day of NAPEX 2014, the World Series of Philately stamp show in the Washington, DC, area, about 90 minutes away.

Ceremony details, announced May 2nd:

The Hot Rods Forever stamps First-Day-of-Issue ceremony will take place during the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) Nationals East Plus Conference in York, PA, on Friday, June 6 at 11 a.m. ET. As the conference is a ticketed event requiring $15 admission, we’d like to extend an opportunity for stamp collectors to attend as special guests – free of charge.

A limited number of complimentary tickets will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. One ticket per request please.

Please see event details below and RSVP no later than June 3 to NationalEvents@usps.gov or 1-866-268-3243.

Further information will be provided upon RSVP.

WHEN: Friday, June 6, 11:00 AM ET

WHAT: “First-day-of-issue Ceremony for the limited-edition Hot Rods Forever® stamps

WHERE: “National Street Rod Association Nationals East Plus Conference
(Outdoor commercial exhibit – USPS Booth)
York Expo Center & Fairgrounds
334 Carlisle Ave.
York, PA 17404

From the May 15th Postal Bulletin:

On June 6, 2014, in York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Hot Rods 49-cent Forever® stamps, in two designs, in a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) booklet of 20 stamps (Item 689200).

The stamps will go on sale nationwide June 6, 2014.

With these two stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates hot rods, the fast, powerful vehicles that thrill-seeking enthusiasts have been modifying for nearly a century. The cars depicted are 1932 Ford “Deuce” roadsters. One stamp features a black ’32 Ford with orange flames running down the car’s body. The other stamp showcases a red ’32 Ford. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamps, which feature art by John Mattos.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at http://www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Hot Rods Stamps
Postmaster
3435 Concord Rd
York, PA 17402-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by August 5, 2014.

There are eight philatelic products for this stamp issue:

• 689206 Press Sheet w/Die cut, $68.60 (print quantity 1,000).
• 689208 Press Sheet w/o Die cut, $68.60 (print quantity 1,500).
• 689210 Keepsake w/Digital Color Postmark (Set of 2), $13.95.
• 689216 First-Day Cover (Set of 2), $1.86.
• 689221 Digital Color Postmark (Set of 2), $3.28.
• 689224 Framed Art, $19.95.
• 689230 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 689231 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Hot Rods
Item Number: 689200
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Double-sided Booklet of 20 (2 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: June 6, 2014, York, PA 17402
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: John Mattos, San Francisco, CA
Modeler: CCL Label, Inc.
Manufacturing Process: Gravure
Engraver: WRE
Printer: CCL Label, Inc.
Printed at: Clinton, SC
Press Type: Dia Nippon Kiko (DNK)
Stamps per Booklet: 20
Print Quantity: 100 Million Stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Overall tagged
Adhesive Type: Pressure sensitive adhesive
Processed at: AVR, Clinton, SC
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 0.73 in./21.34 x 18.54 mm
Stamp Size (w x h): 0.98 x 0.87 in./24.89 x 22.09 mm
Full Booklet Size (w x h): 1.96 x 5.5 in./49.78 x 139.7 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 5.5 x 13.72 in./139.7 x 348.49 mm
Colors: Yellow, 1795 Red, Cyan, Black,
Plate Size: 140 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “C” followed by 1111 (4) single digits
Marginal Markings: • Plate numbers • © 2014 USPS • USPS logo • Barcode (689200)

June 7th: The USPS press release after the first day ceremony was essentially the same, but starts off a little differently:

YORK, PA — Today, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the fast, powerful vehicles thrill-seeking enthusiasts have been modifying for nearly a century by dedicating the limited-edition Hot Rods Forever Stamps. The stamps depict two 1932 Ford “Deuce” roadsters — a black ’32 Ford with orange flames running down the car’s body — and a red ’32 Ford.

The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony took place at the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) Street Rod Nationals East Plus at the York Expo Center in York, PA. Available in booklets of 20 stamps, customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), at Post Offices nationwide and on eBay at ebay.com/stamps.

“These Hot Rods stamps mark the beginning of America’s fascination with customizing fast cars,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in dedicating the stamps. “And they’re just as popular today as they were decades ago. Just like the cars they celebrate, these stamps are timeless in that they’re good for mailing First-Class letters anytime in the future.”

Joining Donahoe in dedicating the stamps were “Car Crazy TV” host Barry Meguiar and NSRA Special Events Director Jerry Kennedy.

“With an estimated 12 million hot rodders in America today, I applaud the Postal Service for recognizing that Hot Rods will forever be a symbol of our American culture,” said Meguiar.

Designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, the two stamps were digitally created by artist John Mattos of San Francisco.

The hot rod culture is vibrant today, with monthlies like Hot Rod magazine and organizations like the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) helping keep the flame alive.