While Mickey does have a general idea of what he’s going to portray on a vehicle as he starts airbrushing, he admits that he adjusts as he goes along. He said that while it’s a process, “other references, other things, other ideas come up” as he’s working on a project, and “the creativity happens as you go.” You can see an example of that spontaneous creativity when you look at the tailgate of the First Responders Silverado. The numbers “5-1-11” are on the top right corner. Mickey shares, “It’s the date we got Osama bin Laden. Read more at Faces of GM.

The date 9/11 is seared forever in the memory of most Americans. On that date in 2001, hijacked airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Pa., killing nearly 3,000 people. In the midst of that tragedy, many heroes emerged. Perhaps the most courageous were the first responders – fire, police and EMS technicians – who raced to the scenes to try to rescue as many people as possible.

As we approached the 10th anniversary of 9/11, GM commissioned the next vehicle in a series honoring American heroes. World-renowned airbrush artist Mickey Harris and a crew of specialists took on the task of commemorating those first responders who gave their lives while trying to save others. Read the full post at Faces of GM.

The car, named Legacy by Petty, is a Dodge Challenger unlike any other. First of all, it’s a convertible.

Dodge doesn’t produce a stock Challenger convertible, so Petty’s Garage worked with Drop-Top Customs on the fully-functional convertible conversion. This is the first convertible to come out of Petty’s Garage, Richard Petty’s high-performance speed shop.

Legacy by Petty’s base coat is the trademark Petty Blue color made famous by “The King” Richard Petty’s #43 race cars since 1960, but it’s the story-telling graphics airbrushed on top that really stand out. Renowned airbrush artist Mickey Harris is covering the vehicle with amazingly detailed images of key moments in Petty’s career, including his spectacular crash on lap 106 of the 1988 Daytona 500 and, as depicted by eagles, Petty’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian award. Petty is the first motorsports athlete ever to be honored with this award.

Renowned airbrush artist Mickey Harris adds renderings of key moments in Richard Petty’s racing career to the tribute car Legacy by Petty being built by Petty’s Garage.

Harris airbrushed every rendering freehand,while onlookers and Petty himself watched during a recent open house at Petty’s Garage, located in the former home of Petty’s race team in Level Cross, North Carolina in mid-November.

Read the entire article here.

See more photos and get more info here.

See the press release from Richard Petty’s Garage