1922 Mercer Series 5 Sport

The Mercer Raceabout was first built in 1911. It featured a T-head 4-cylinder engine, standard exhaust cutout, round bolster tank, rudimentary seating for a driver and passenger, and a monocle windshield. This was the first automobile successfully built in series for the purpose of high-speed touring and winning races.

The Roebling brothers and their engineer Finley Robertson Porter built around 800 Raceabouts between 1911 and 1915. One example was purchased by Spencer Wishart who drove it to a dirt track in Columbus, Ohio and won the 200-mile feature. Along the way, he set four dirt track records in the process. Legendary drivers, Barney Oldfield and Ralph de Palma, also raced Mercers.

Mercer built their T-head, 4-cylinder cars through 1914. They were followed by the Eric H. Deiling designed, L-head four-cylinder engines. The 298 cubic-inch side-valve 4-cylinder engine was given a single ignition and drove through a 4-speed transmission. Braking was controlled by the rear wheels and the suspension was comprised of live axles and semi-elliptical leaf springs.

Deiling was one of the earliest American designers to incorporate the Houdaille lever action friction shock absorbers to the suspension.

The Roebling brothers died within a year of each other; ownership of the company passed to a New York investment syndicate with Emlen Hare, a former manager of Packard's New York branch, in charge. A short time later, Hare added Locomobile and Simplex-Crane to the company's roster. It was not long before Hare overextended his abilities, and by 1921, control of Mercer was back in the hands of the founding families.

Over the lifespan of the Mercer Company, who produced their cars in their Trenton, New Jersey factory in Mercer County, an estimated 5,000 Mercers were built. Production began in 1911 and came to a close in 1924.

The Raceabout introduced during the Deiling-era was modern and more luxurious than its predecessors. The body had sides that protected the driver's and passengers' legs, although the seat back still formed the back of the passenger compartment. Also, the fuel still rode on the rear deck in a round bolster tank. They had full-width flat glass windshield and the fenders were enclosed to the frame.

This particular Series 5 Sporting with chassis number 16210 was the property of Edwin L. Griffin in the 1950s. After his death, the Mercer was advertised by Griffin's wife in the Horseless Carriage Gazette. Currently, the early and subsequent history is not known. The car has never been restored.

The current caretaker acquired the car in 2012. It has been given mechanical re-commissioning. It has 4-passenger aluminum coachwork, a 298.2 cubic-inch L-head side-valve engine, 4-speed transmission, and rear-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2015