1921 Mercer Raceabout

Inventory Number: 3080

$295,000

  • ENGINE: 298.2 cu. in. Four-Cylinder with 3 3/4 inch Bore and 6 3/4 inch Stroke.
  • ENGINE NO: 4758
  • HP: 70
  • WHEELBASE: 115 inches
  • WEIGHT: 3800 pounds
  • GAS TANK: 25-gallon. Extra 5-gallon oil tank for high-speed driving.
  • TIRES: 32 x 4 1/2
  • MANUFACTURED: Trenton, New Jersey
“If ever there was objective, 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 passenger's 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 Scottsdale Auction

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, New Jersey, 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 were 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 the syndicate 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.

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