1914 Mercer Model J-35 Raceabout

The first collector of this vehicle was James Melton, an opera singer of the Firestone Hour radio program in the 1940s. The car was later given to Mr. Melton by the Standard Oil Company of New York. Mr. Foley has owned this car for 36 years. It has been shown with much success, including an AACA national winner; Miller trophy winner - Best in Show at the Heritage Classic, Daytona Beach, Fl.

The J-35 models were built from 1911-1914 in Trenton, NJ. The chief engineer was Finley Robertson Porter.

The engine is a T-Head design generating 30.6 hp; t-head; wheelbase 108'; 67' tire tread; gear ratio 1st-8.58-1, 2nd 4.62-1, 3rd 3.47-1, 4th-2.52-1; bore-4 3/8' stroke 5'. Tire size 32x4; fuel capacity 25 gallons; oil capacity 5 gallons; original price $2600 FOB, Trenton, NJ.

This 1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout was built in the final year of T-head production. It has a four-speed gearbox that had been unveiled the previous year, and there are two-wheel mechanical drum brakes with a contracting shoe on the driveshaft.

This car's history is known since the mid-1930s when it was owned by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company of New York. On October 10, 1936, the Mercer was exhibited at the Vanderbilt Cup Race held at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York. George Robertson, who had won the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup, organized a one-lap exhibition of old-timer motorcars, pairing his racing friends with vintage race cars. The famous Locomobile 'Old 16' was taken out of retirement for this occasion, and Ralph De Palma was tasked with piloting this Mercer. A Stutz Bearcat was driven by 'Smilin' Ralph Mulford, winner of the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup.

A month later, in November, the Raceabout took part in an 'Old Car Endurance Contest' as a preliminary feature of the National Auto Show. At the wheel of the Mercer was Barney Oldfield, who drove it down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue through the thick of city traffic. Other 'celebrities' who participated in the contest included Joe Tracy in a 1906 Jackson and Pete De Paolo in a 1902 Haynes.

In 1944, James Melton acquired the Mercer from the oil company. Over the 15 years that followed, Mr. Melton occasionally exhibited the Raceabout at local VMCCA meets and displayed it at his Norwalk, Connecticut, auto museum. A photo of the car was selected for the cover of Mr. Milton's book Bright Wheels Rolling, published in 1954.

The car's next owner was Edward N. King of New Jersey. In the mid-1960s, he commissioned restorer Ralph Buckley to return it to its original condition. Upon completion in 1967, it was awarded an AACA National First Prize. A few years later, the Mercer was sold to Ohio-based collector Thomas J. Lester, who kept it briefly before selling to Jerry S. Foley III (who purchased it for $37,500 and a 1912 Pierce-Arrow touring car).

The Raceabout has remained with Mr. Foley since 1971. It has been exhibited on rare occasions.

This Mercer wears a light yellow livery and is powered by engine number 1702. The 300 cubic-inch T-head inline 4-cylinder unit has a single Fletcher Updraft carburetor and delivers 58 horsepower at 1,900 RPM. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, a solid front and live rear axle, and friction shock absorbers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023