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The Mercer Automobile Company
The Mercer Automobile Company was founded in 1909 by Ferdinand Roebling, Washington A. Roebling II and John L. Kuser in Hamilton Township, NJ, to produce high-performance cars. The company evolved from the takeover of the Walter Automobile Company, manufacturer of the Walter and Roebling-Planche automobiles, after the Roebling family made a fortune from the creation of tensioned wire rope suspension bridges, such as the Brooklyn Bridge. They teamed up with the Kuser family, owners of a vacant brewery, into which they moved their operation, and the company was run and managed by the Roeblings.
The first Mercer, designed with engineer Finley Robertson Porter, became available for purchase in 1910 as a speedster, toy tonneau, or touring car with a four-cylinder L-head Beaver engine. They were relatively expensive and advertised with slogans such as, “It is possible to thread a needle while traveling 60 mph.” In 1912, Washington died aboard the Titanic, and by 1914, Porter had resigned, and Eric H. Delling designed a new L-head, four-cylinder engine with at least 70 HP. He added windshields, bench seats, enclosed coachwork, and Houdaille shock absorbers to the product line before departing in 1916. The following year, F.W. Roebling died, followed shortly by his brother, and ownership passed to an investment syndicate by the name of the Mercer Motors Company. Led by Emlen Hare, former Vice President of Packard, they acquired an interest in Locomobile and Crane-Simplex, but had collapsed in the post-WWI economy by 1921. Control was returned to the founding families, and manufacturing continued until 1925, producing an estimated 5,500 vehicles.
The Mercer automobiles would be known as possibly the first American sports cars, designed for the track and the street with high-performance racing capabilities. They were highly sought-after for their exceptional handling, quality construction, and powerful performance. Mercers competed fiercely on the track with the Stutz Bearcat as a dominant force in early American racing, reaching speeds of 80 mph. The high-quality materials and craftsmanship that went into their design resulted in the survival of 140 Mercer automobiles, now coveted by the collector and the history buff alike.
The 1921 Raceabout
YEAR: 1921
MAKE: Mercer Automobile Company
MODEL: 22-70 Series 5 Raceabout
MANUFACTURED: Trenton, NJ
CONDITION: Complete restoration
PASSENGERS: 2
CHASSIS NO.: 14758
ENGINE: Side Valve Inline 4-Cylinder T-head
ENGINE NO.: 4758
DISPLACEMENT: 298.2 cu. in.
BORE: 3.75 in.
STROKE: 6.75 in.
HP: 70
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed manual
CARBURETOR: Single Penberthy from Ball & Ball of Detroit, Michigan
FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM: Stewart Vacuum Gasoline System
STARTING & LIGHTING SYSTEM: Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WEIGHT: 3,800 LB.
WHEELS: Rudge-Whitworth
WHEELBASE: 115 in.
BRAKES: 2-Wheel drum
BHP: Approx. 80 at 4,750 RPM
SUSPENSION: Front & rear semi-elliptical leaf springs
FUEL CAPACITY: 25-gallon, additional 5-gallon tank
TIRES: 32 x 4 1/2
SPARE TIRES: (2) rear-mounted
HORN: Sparton from Sparks-Withington Company of Michigan
RADIATOR GAUGE: Boyce Motometer from the Motometer Company
CLOCK: Keyless Auto Clock, Inc.
SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER: Stewart-Warner Speedometer Co.
FUEL GAUGE: U.S. Gauge Co. of New York
HEADLIGHTS: Gray & Davis
“This freshly restored 22-70 has been in current ownership since the late 2000s. It was acquired as a complete car, but one needing total restoration. Consuming several years and over $100,000, the car was beautifully restored and refinished to the high standard in which it is presented today. The coachwork is of recent construction but of very high quality, and the owner elected to finish it smartly in jet black. Plated items have been recently refinished in high quality nickel to provide an appealing contrast. The quality black paint complements the sleek and sporty body brilliantly, and lack of windshield further emphasizes the rakish look of this high-performance Mercer. Since its restoration, the owner has used the car sparingly, though it has primarily been on display, so the restoration has been very well preserved.
The Mercer is the definitive American sporting car of its period, prized by collectors, so seldom do freshly restored examples come to market. Marvelous to drive and wonderful to look at the Mercers of this era are indeed truly special motorcars...
If ever there was object, irrefutable proof that the concept of the sports car originated in the United States it was the Mercer Raceabout. First built in 1911 the Mercer Raceabout, with its thundering T-head 4-cylinder engine, standard exhaust cutout, round bolster tank, monocle windshield and rudimentary seating for only a driver and a brave passenger, was the first automobile successfully built in series for the sole purpose of going fast and winning races. Between 1911 and 1915 the Roebling brothers (whose father had designed and built the Brooklyn Bridge) and their engineer Finley Robertson Porter built some 800 Raceabouts which their customers could take straight from the factory to the race track with a good chance of winning and an even better chance of finishing well. Barney Oldfield and Ralph de Palma raced Mercers. Spencer Wishart bought one, drove it right to a dirt track in Columbus, Ohio and won the 200-mile feature, setting four dirt track records in the process.
The Deiling-designed Mercers from 1915 were powered by a 298 cubic-inch side-valve 4-cylinder with single ignition and a 4-speed transmission. The engine was rated 22.5 NACC horsepower, and its earliest versions were said to make 70 brake horsepower. Brakes were installed only on the rear wheels. Suspension employed live axles at both ends, suspended from semi-elliptical leaf springs. Deiling was one of the first American designers to add Houdaille lever action friction shock absorbers to the suspension, a feature that vividly illustrates his desire to enhance Mercers' ride and handling.
The new Raceabout body also gave its occupants more protection from the elements and the vicissitudes of the generally marginal roads of the time. The body now had sides protecting the driver's and passengers' legs although the seat back still formed the back of the passenger compartment, and the fuel still rode on the rear deck in a round bolster tank. Fenders enclosed to the frame kept detritus from being kicked up onto the bodywork and the occupants, and a full-width flat glass windshield gave added protection, although it folded down for high-speed runs. In effect, the Model 22-70 Mercer Raceabout was refined, improved, and easier to own and drive, applying the lessons learned in five years of production of the Mercer Type 35.”
-Bonhams
The 1921 Sporting
It is estimated that only a handful of Sporting models survive and they are considered relatively rare and sought-after by collectors.
ENGINE: Four-Cylinder L-head
VIN#: 5988
HP: 70
TRANSMISSION: Four-Speed Manual
FEATURES: Original Paint & Wire Wheels, Leather Interior, New Running Boards
MANUFACTURED: Trenton, New Jersey
The 1921 Mercer Sporting was the stylish and more affordable version of the Series 5, introduced in 1920 and offered in a variety of body styles, including the renown Raceabout. It was stylish and elegant but built for performance and handling and went for around $4,950 in 1921.
“Alongside the 1920s generation of Mercer Raceabouts, Mercer coachwork options included one of the most elegant sports touring cars of its day, which they termed simply the 'Sporting'. Its design was typically advanced, with its lightly barrel sided body perfectly extending the line of its hood and radiator, bringing with it both aesthetic and aerodynamic benefits.”
-Bonhams, The Scottsdale Auction
“Every collection of significant American cars requires a Mercer, one of the great driver’s cars of their or any other time. This one allows its new owner to take three friends along for the ride in an experience that is truly, well, sporting.”
-RM Sotheby’s
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