☰
conceptcarz.com
✕

1914 Mercer 450

Raceabout
Chassis number: 4

Eddie Pullen won the American Grand Prix at Santa Monica of 1914 in a '450' Mercer averaging 77.2 mph over a 403-mile road course. A new American record at Corona, California, averaging 87.89 m.p.h. a flat course world record.

The chassis was a standard type 35 raceabout unit of 112 inches, along with the raceabout 4-speed transmission. Two Type '450' Mercers have survived, and one is powered by the famous Eddie Pullen record-breaking engine. Model 45s were among the front-runners at many races, including the Indianapolis 500 and the Vanderbilt Cup. Pullen was leading the Vanderbilt Cup ahead of Barney Oldfield's Type 45 before tire failure put him and the car out of race. Pullen managed to repair it for the start of the Grand Prix 48 hours later, going on to clock an average speed of nearly 80 mph for the 403-mile race.

This was the first American Car to win the American Grand Prix: At Santa Monica, California, on 2/23/1914, averaging 77.2mph for 403.248 miles.

A Type 45 Mercer broke the world racing speed record: Eddie Pullen averaged 87.8 mph for 300 miles at Carona, California, on Nov 26, 1914.

Eddie Pullen, Ralph DePalma, Barney Oldfield, Spencer Wishart, along with Joe Thomas and Grover Ruckstell, all drove type 45 Mercers with great success from 1913 through 1916.

Raceabout
Chassis number: 905 or 907

The Mercer was named after Mercer County, New Jersey, where the cars were designed by Finley Robinson Porter and built by the Roebling brothers - who also built the Brooklyn Bridge! This is the car that Eddie Pullen drove at the Californian Corona road race in 1914 to break the World Road Race speed record at 87.8 mph. This was a 2.75-mile race around the city's perimeter. He won the American Grand Prix in the same year over a 403-mile road course at Santa Monica. The Mercer 4-cylinder 450 cubic-inch engine developed over 150 bhp and first appeared in Indianapolis in 1913. It was one of the first race cars to have wire-spoked wheels; until then, most race cars had stronger but heavier wooden-spoke rims.

The Mercer Raceabout Model 35J T-head was constructed from 1913 through 1914. Under the hood was a 300 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine and mated to a Brown & Lipe gearbox. In 1911 and 1912, there were three speeds. Beginning in 1913, a four-speed unit was offered with a multiple-disc clutch. To improve the vehicle's handling characteristics, the drive was placed low in the frame. Mounted on the rear were dual spare tires.

Many of the T-Head Mercer's were taken from the showroom floor and driven straight to the track. All that was needed to have these cars ready for the track was the removal of the fenders, running boards, and lighting equipment. After the race, the cars were driven home, which made these one of the first mass-produced dual-purpose vehicles.

These were designed mostly for racing. They had a ladder frame with very little bodywork (only a hood and vestigial fenders). They had a 25-gallon gas tank mounted directly behind the two seats. There was little needed to prepare them for racing; some owners added a monocle windshield to provide mild protection from the elements and harsh roadways of the era.

It is hard to imagine that these were very advanced vehicles of their day, but they were. Their T-head engine offered 60 horsepower, and their finely-tuned gear ratios and four-speed transmission gave them a competitive edge over their rivals. Though the body and frame seemed minimalist and crude, it was lightweight and rugged. With no body, no starter, and a lack of amenities, these Speedsters weighed a mere 2300 pounds.

by Dan Vaughan