1914 Mercer Model J-35

The Mercer Raceabout is widely considered one of the earliest American supercars, with its potent T-head four-cylinder engine and low-slung, rakish two-seater bodywork. Introduced a year prior to its arch competitor, the Stutz Bear Cat, the Raceabout was essentially a road-going automobile that could outpace other automobiles at the track. It was the perfect blended package of speed and finesse, and its crowning achievement arrived in 1914 when local racer Eddie Pullen drove it to victory in what was then America's most famous road race, the American Grand Prix at Santa Monica, and, in the process, set a course record of 77 mph.

The Mercer Automobile Company of Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, was established in 1909 by the Roebling family, creators of tensioned wire rope suspension bridges, with perhaps the most famous being the Roebling-built Brooklyn Bridge. It evolved from the Walter Automobile Company, which had built the Walter and Roebling-Planche automobiles. The William Walter business was taken over by Washington A. Roebling II, with automobile production relocated to a vacant brewery in Hamilton, New Jersey. John A. Roebling's son, Ferdinand, was appointed president and his nephew Washington became the general manager. John L. Kuser was the secretary-treasurer, and his family owned the vacant brewery. The deaths of the Roebling family leaders and a series of bad business decisions quickened the company's demise. After fifteen years of production, the last Mercer automobile was completed in 1925.

The Mercer Raceabout was a fast two-passenger speedster with nimble handling, carefully selected gear ratios, and superb power-to-weight ratio. They were incredibly expensive and thoroughly impractical with very little storage and no weather protection whatsoever. It was a racing car for the road, offering an enthusiastic motoring experience for the driver and passenger.

The well-engineered T-head four-cylinder engine had its blocks cast in pairs and mounted on an aluminum crankcase. Displacing 301 cubic inches and using a single Flechter carburetor, the engine offered 34 bhp (ALAM rated) horsepower (58 horsepower at 1,900 RPM). It was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox which sent the power to the rear wheels. Two-wheel mechanical drum brakes with a contracting shoe on the driveshaft provided the stopping power for the compact 108-inch wheelbase frame. There was a solid front and live rear axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, and Hartford friction-type shock absorbers.

The 1914 Mercer Model J (J-35) Raceabout rested on a 108-inch wheelbase platform and had a base price of approximately $2,600. The Model O Roadster and Model H five-passenger Touring used a 118-inch wheelbase and listed at $2,900. The Model M five-passenger Touring was $100 higher and utilized a 124-inch wheelbase. The engine powering the Model J produced 34 (ALAM) horsepower while the others used a 32.4 hp (ALAM) engine.

In 1923, Mercer introduced an overhead valve six-cylinder (Rochester engine) model that used a three-speed Brown & Lipe gearbox. The following year, Mercers gained front brakes. A year later, after producing approximately 12,893 vehicles, Mercer was out of business.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023