In the United States in 1971, the auto racing trading card scene was dominated by Fleer’s pioneering efforts in drag racing. The primary issue was the 63-card Fleer AHRA Official Drag Champs set, which featured action photography of top fuel dragsters, funny cars, and pro stock racers, along with smaller companion oversized sets like Stickshifts and Dragstrips releases. These were among the earliest widely distributed modern cards for many marquee drag racing names. Changes included a shift toward niche, promotional gum-card formats aimed at motorsport enthusiasts rather than mainstream sports collectors, with limited NASCAR or IndyCar representation compared to later decades.
Foreign auto racing trading cards in 1971 remained far less prominent and more fragmented than in the US. Primary European issues were limited, often appearing as inserts in cigarette or chocolate products in the UK and continental Europe, with occasional Formula 1 or rally-focused cards, but no major dedicated sets comparable to Fleer’s output. This reflected a slower transition from pre-war and 1950s–60s tobacco/card styles toward modern promotional trading cards, with the hobby still heavily tied to regional sponsorships rather than large-scale commercial releases.
1971 Fleer Stickshifts
