Evan Bedford with his stamp-covered 2002 Mazda Miata. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

pride and joy

Funky postage stamp-adorned Miata catching eyes in Red Deer

Jun 3, 2023 | 5:03 PM

Evan Bedford owns all of the postage stamps which adorn his 2002 Mazda Miata.

Wait, what?

That may actually be what you say to yourself if you catch a glimpse of the Red Deerian’s car driving around the city.

The petite vehicle was purchased by Bedford five or six years ago, and he then got a unique wrap on it because, as studies suggest, grey/silver cars are somewhat more likely to be involved in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs).

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

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Now it’s a nice shade of blue, but with a very hard to miss tapestry.

“I considered racing stripes, but then I thought why not have some more fun with it? I’ve been collecting stamps since I was a kid in the 1960s,” says Bedford.

“One of my interests is the Isle of Man motorcycle races, so on both sides, that’s what’s featured. On the hood, we have military history, the trunk has science and technology, and there are explorers on the roof.”

There’s also a very personal stamp on the hood, he shares.

“My Aunt Mary, back in 1965, was a post-mistress in a little village called Liss in England, and she actually cancelled that very stamp, the ink marks from which you can see,” Bedford beams.

“My grandparents lived in England and they’d send over English comics and whatnot, so lots of stamps went back and forth. Working in the post office, my aunt also came across stamps from all over the world, so I’ve got some of those too. I lost interest in collecting more when I was a teenager, but they are fantastic little works of art.”

‘ORWELL’ and more stamps adorn the rear of Evan Bedford’s car. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

Atop the car, a snazzy racing vent was attached by Bedford to enhance the air conditioning.

There’s also a stylized yellow and blue Canada flag in support of Ukraine, he points out.

And rounding out the car’s extreme uniquity, an Alberta licence plate reading ‘ORWELL,’ in reference to the famous author of 1984, George Orwell.

He’s a part of history too, quips Bedford.

“It all looks ridiculous from 50 feet away, but if you look up close, the artwork on each stamp is quite amazing,” the civil engineering tech admits, admiring stamps of bridges on the trunk.

“I suppose I get some looks, but I have to keep my eyes on the road. At gas stations, sometimes I get questions.”

Each year, Bedford puts his Miata into a summer car show hosted by Wetaskiwin’s Reynolds Museum, and he’s part of an Edmonton-based Miata club.

(Evan Bedford)

On top of that, Bedford owns a similarly stamp-wrapped velomobile — essentially a bicycle car enclosed for aerodynamic purposes.

Bedford is planning a trial ride from Red Deer to Edmonton in the velomobile this summer, and a subsequent trip in it to Ottawa in 2024.