or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Sell Back Your Copy
For a $1.60 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving)
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving) [Hardcover]

Michael Keyser (Author), Brian Redman (Foreword)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

List Price: $69.95
Price: $51.06 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $18.89 (27%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Only 6 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want it delivered Monday, February 6? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Book Description

December 31, 1999 Driving
"The Speed Merchants" tells the story of veteran racer Michael Keyser's racing & film experience, across the U.S. and Europe, from 1969 through 1972. He relives what it was like to watch the great Ferrari 512s and Porsche 917s that dominated the world manufacturer's series in 1970; to follow Mark Donohue and Roger Penske as they shook up the Trans-Am through Canada and the United States; to see McLaren's hold on the Can-Am finally ended. The Speed Merchants details the successes and failures of such drivers as Vic Elford, Brian Redman, Jo Siffert, Pedro Rodriguez, and Jackie Stewart; and racing at such tracks as Daytona, Sebring, Indianapolis, the Targa Florio, the Nurburgring, Monaco, and LeMans.

When first published in 1973, "The Speed Merchants" was hailed among other books on racing as "the standard by which other works should be judged." Now, the author has totally revised the book, more than doubling the number of photographs and adding a personal dimension that could only be brought by someone in his unique position as driver, photographer, and filmmaker.

With brilliant full color photography and evocative prose, The Speed Merchants brings to vivid life the sights and sounds of a lost era.


Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with A French Kiss with Death: Steve McQueen and the Making of Le Mans $32.07

The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving) + A French Kiss with Death: Steve McQueen and the Making of Le Mans
Price For Both: $83.13

One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details

  • This item: The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving)

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • A French Kiss with Death: Steve McQueen and the Making of Le Mans

    In stock but may require an extra 1-2 days to process.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

Michael Keyser...drove his father's brand-new green Porsche 911 from Stuttgart to Siena, in 1968. Other thrill rides followed.

Review

Michael Keyser's The Speed Merchants spotlights racing history from 1969 to 1972. -- Playboy, March 2001

One of the best-ever motorsport titles is back in print and, unlike most sequels, is even better than the original. -- Motor Trend, June 2000

The Speed Merchants is still, over twenty-five years after its birth, one of the best racing books extent. -- Sports Car Market, August 2000

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 310 pages
  • Publisher: Bentley Publishers (December 31, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0837602327
  • ISBN-13: 978-0837602325
  • Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for fans of Sports Cars golden years, September 18, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving) (Hardcover)
Porsche 917, Ferrari 512, Ferrari 312P, Matra 670, Porsche 908, Alfa Romeo 33, Lola T280, and their gentlemen drivers; It was just a superb era for Motor Racing. Finaly I see a book that covers it all.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars fascinating story, January 20, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving) (Hardcover)
A personal journal of motor racing in the late 60's and early 70's - Michael Keyser writes from the perspective of car owner, driver, and photographer. The contrast of that era with today's racing environment couldn't be more drastic: where today's races are computerized and clinical, the sport back then had a very personal touch ... and was dangerously cavalier. The book is let down only by the average photography.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Account of Racing by a True Racer, November 14, 2005
This review is from: The Speed Merchants: A Journey Through the World of Motor Racing, 1969-1972 (Driving) (Hardcover)
After 35 years of reading and collecting sports car related titles (160 books and counting, with many long out of print and quite rare), Keyser's "The Speed Merchants," as well as his companion "A French Kiss With Death," remains among the top 10 I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The unique photography is alone worth the price. Unlike countless other sports car racing titles that are churned out with great fanfare (2005 has been a banner year), "The Speed Merchants" features page after page of photos that won't be seen anywhere else; they're alone worth the price of the book. The text is "fresh", not a rehash of some previous article or book by the same author as is more often than not the case in this field of writing. The original edition of "The Speed Merchants" was a milestone in sports car racing literature, but the revised edition is a welcome improvement on an already superb book. The text is clear, consise and tremendously informative- and that is what true followers of the wonderful racing seasons of the late 60s-early 70s are looking for. I've lost count of how many times I've picked this book up for a quick read, never failing to find some small bit of information that I'd missed before. While Keyser is an obviously talented writer and photographer with a sincere passion about the sport, he also brings to his work the added benefit of being a racer himself, and an extremely good one at that. That must certainly explain, at least to a degree, the overall quality of "The Speed Merchants". Here's hoping Keyser will attempt a detailed history of the entire 1970-71 sports car seasons- something long overdue.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews


Only search this product's reviews



What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject