James Melton, Norwalk, Connecticut (acquired from the above in 1944)
Edward N. King, Bay Head, New Jersey (acquired in the mid-1960s)
Thomas J. Lester, Bedford Heights, Ohio (acquired from the above in the late-1960s)
Jerry S. Foley III, Jacksonville, Florida (acquired from the above in 1971)
Chassis: 1967
Engine: 1702
A Genuine Four-Speed T-Head Mercer Raceabout; An Icon of American Motoring
Well Documented with Known History Dating Back to the Mid-1930s
Driven by Ralph De Palma in the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Old-Timer Race
Provenance Includes Noted Collectors James Melton, Ed King, and Tom Lester
The Centerpiece of The Jerry S. Foley III Collection for over 50 Years
Among the Most Famous and Desirable of All Antique Automobiles
300 CID T-Head Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Fletcher Updraft Carburetor
58 HP at 1,900 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
2-Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes with Contracting Shoe on Driveshaft
Front Solid Axle with Friction Shock Absorbers
Rear Live Axle with Friction Shock Absorbers
The late automotive writer Ken W. Purdy was one of the lucky few to own an early Mercer Raceabout, and described driving his car thusly:
“The enormous attraction of the Mercer derives from its starkness. There are no useless gadgets. Everything on the car contributes something. Visibility? You can see the ground under the right front wheel! You can gauge a corner literally to one inch, and the merest twitch of the steering wheel will pull you around the car ahead of you. You have to pay for this quickness, of course: it takes muscle to turn a wheel that goes only one and a quarter turns from full right to full left.”
Purdy went on to say: “A good Mercer Raceabout will cruise all day at 60, show 70 or more on demand, and it has the steering and road-holding to go with its speed.”
Indeed, they do. Thanks to a superb power-to-weight ratio, cleverly selected gear ratios, nimble handling, and a low-slung profile, the Raceabout found immediate success on road and track. The car’s designer, Finley Robertson Porter, and its manufacturers, the Roebling and Kuser families of Brooklyn Bridge fame, entered a fortunate collaboration combining Washington A. Roebling’s concept of a fast, fundamental, two-passenger speedster with Porter’s self-taught engineering savvy. The result was a thoroughbred that made most other automobiles of the time look and act like draught horses. As Mr. Porter summarized in an interview with Henry Austin Clark Jr., “We sold racing cars to the public.”
The Mercer Raceabout not only looked fast – it was fast. From its initial big win at the 1911 Panama-Pacific Light Car Race in San Francisco, to 2nd Place in the 1912 Vanderbilt Cup, Ralph De Palma’s victory at Santa Monica and Spencer Wishhart’s 2nd Place in the 1913 Indianapolis 500, the Mercer was an unbridled success for the Trenton, New Jersey-based company. From these victories to the time of America’s entry into WWI, the Mercer, in both stock and racing guises, recorded an enviable string of performances in dirt- and board-track events, hill climbs, and professional road races.
T-head Mercer Raceabouts never were built in large numbers, and their selling price when new – $2,250 in 1911 and incrementally more thereafter – put them out of reach of most early enthusiasts. But what other car of its day could be driven from the showroom to the racetrack and, with a minimum of preparation, take to the course with a good chance of winning?
No one ever bought a Raceabout because it was practical. There is very little storage and no weather protection whatsoever. Occupants are completely exposed to the elements, and while the driver has the steering wheel to grab, the passenger must hold on for dear life as the car barrels down the road taking corners at unfathomable speeds.
But there is a feeling to these cars that is almost alive. They seem to fit most drivers naturally. Nearly everything is within easy reach and the shifting is a revelation to those accustomed to the balky, heavy-feeling gearboxes of the time; a Mercer can be snapped rapidly through its gears without protest. The steering is go-kart quick and the sound of the engine with the cutout open is a noise that once heard is never forgotten.
The Raceabout’s eager and willing performance puts the driver at one with the machine. That, among many other reasons, is why a T-head Mercer Raceabout is so sought after by so many sophisticated collectors today – and has been for generations.
The Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout offered here, chassis 1967, hails from the final year of T-head production: 1914. As such, this car features many subtle improvements that were implemented since the model’s introduction, most notably the desirable four-speed gearbox that was unveiled in 1913.
Among the very few late-production, four-speed Raceabouts that survive today, the car’s history is known since the mid-1930s, when it was owned by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company of New York. During this period, the company owned a fleet of early motorcars that were often used for promotional purposes. The Mercer Raceabout was no exception, as it was exhibited at the Vanderbilt Cup Race held at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York, on October 10, 1936.
George Robertson, who had won the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup, organized a one-lap, old-timer exhibition as a curtain-raiser to the main race, pairing his old racing friends with vintage race cars. The famous Locomobile “Old 16” was brought out of retirement, and this Mercer was loaned to the legendary Ralph De Palma – the former Mercer factory team captain and driver – while its period rival, a Stutz Bearcat, was entrusted to “Smilin’ Ralph” Mulford, winner of the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup.
That November, the Raceabout took part in an “Old Car Endurance Contest” as a preliminary feature of the National Auto Show. None other than the great Barney Oldfield, also a former Mercer team driver, was at the wheel of the Raceabout, as it made its way down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue through the thick of city traffic. Other entrants included Pete De Paolo in a 1902 Haynes and Joe Tracy in a 1906 Jackson.
In 1944, famed opera tenor and pioneering car collector James Melton persuaded the oil company to part with its prized Mercer. The acquisition was widely reported on, including in The Bulb Horn magazine, which published the following notice that July:
“Speaking of James Melton, he is now giving the West Coast a thrill, both with his singing performances, and his display of old cars – he has several of his old cars with him out there – and recently commissioned your scribe to take delivery, for him, and ship to him on the coast, a 1912 four-speed Mercer T-head runabout, rebuilt by Charlie Stich and repainted at Lakeside Shops – Jimmy is certainly going to make the faces red of Messrs. Bailey and Ulmann, the grand dukes of the Mercer team.”
Over the next 15 years, Mr. Melton occasionally exhibited the Raceabout at local VMCCA meets and displayed it with pride at his Norwalk, Connecticut auto museum. When he published his famous book, Bright Wheels Rolling, in 1954, the Mercer was the car he selected to appear on the cover and described it in the following passage:
“This car is forty years old. It was built in Trenton, N.J. in 1913, and I got it from the Socony Vacuum Oil Company in 1944. I don’t know the history of the car in detail, but it’s a safe bet that it had a busy life. Most Mercers did. The great thing about the Mercer was this: in its day – 1911-1914 – you could buy this car off the showroom floor for $2,500, take it out to the local race track or the nearest road-racing circuit, and run it with a very fair chance of taking home all the bacon. It was that good.”
After Mr. Melton, ownership of the Raceabout passed to Edward N. King of New Jersey. Another passionate collector, Mr. King owned several noteworthy cars, including a Simplex 50 HP and several other Mercers, and managed the Mercer registry, which he took over from founder Herb Royston. In the mid-1960s, he commissioned the premier restorer Ralph Buckley, himself a Mercer fanatic and 1914 Raceabout owner, to restore this car to its original splendor. Upon completion in 1967, it was awarded an AACA National First Prize.
A few years later, failing health ultimately forced Mr. King to sell the Mercer to Thomas J. Lester, the famed Ohio-based collector. He owned the Raceabout for a brief period, however, as Jerry S. Foley III soon talked him into selling it. He parted with $37,500 and a 1912 Pierce-Arrow touring car to acquire the famous Raceabout.
Amazingly, Mr. Foley has owned the Mercer since 1971 and, thanks to regular attention and maintenance, it appears virtually the same as it did when he purchased it. Throughout his ownership, Mr. Foley exhibited the Raceabout on rare occasions and made some minor improvements to its presentation, including sourcing the proper Fletcher carburetor unique to the 1914 model. As a result, the Mercer presents beautifully today in its light yellow livery and possesses the hallmarks of a genuine Raceabout including a proper, in-sequence to the chassis 35-J engine, no. 1702, and correct chassis number stampings visible on the frame, hood, and both front fenders.
Among the most famous and recognizable automobiles built prior to WWII, the Mercer Raceabout is the quintessential Brass Era sports car and one of the all-time great icons of the American automobile industry. Since their introduction more than a century ago, these cars have remained at the top of collectors’ wish lists, prized by enthusiasts from every generation. Great looking, brilliant to drive, and bearing an evocative name and mystique, the Mercer Raceabout embodies the most romantic qualities of early motoring.
Genuine T-head Raceabouts with documented provenance are also exceptionally rare, as many examples were converted from other Mercer models. According to most knowledgeable sources, the number of genuine examples surviving today is less than 20.
Considering the above, this Raceabout represents the holy grail of American antiques. Here is a well-known and well-documented example of this famous Brass Era sports car, with a fantastic history that can be traced back to the mid-1930s, when this Raceabout was a 20-year-old car. Cherished by collectors since the 1940s, this Raceabout possesses an exceptional provenance, with a roster of owners that includes some of the best names in car collecting: James Melton, Tom Lester, and Jerry Foley. Over the decades, it has taken part in several landmark events, including the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup, where it was driven by the great Ralph De Palma. It has also been featured in numerous newspaper articles, magazines, and books, including Ralph Stein’s The Great Cars and Mr. Melton’s Bright Wheels Rolling. It begs no excuse, is offered with a fascinating documentation file, and remains in lovely condition, benefiting from Mr. Foley’s care and attention for the past five decades.
Having known and admired this automobile for many years, Gooding & Company recommends serious consideration of this magnificent 1914 Mercer Raceabout. Its appearance at auction represents a significant, and quite possibly unrepeatable, opportunity to acquire one of the most sought-after, iconic Brass Era thoroughbreds.
*Please note that this vehicle is titled by its engine number.
