Vehicle Description
Roebling-Planche of Trenton, New Jersey made just a handful of cars
in 1909, and if the Roebling family hadn't persisted in their
desire to build motorcars, the company would have faded into
obscurity like so many other flash-in-the-pan manufacturers of the
time. The Roeblings had made their fortune from major civil
engineering projects, most notably the building of the Brooklyn
Bridge. Following the fizzle of Roebling-Planche, the company was
renamed "MERCER" after the county to which their Trenton, New
Jersey works was relocated. The earliest Mercers had proprietary
engines by Beaver, until the arrival of Finlay Robertson Porter;
the man responsible for establishing Mercer's path to fame.
Porter's magic laid in his 300 cubic inch (4,916 cubic centimeter)
T-Head four-cylinder engine design. The new engine was fitted to
various models such as a Tourer, Light Tonneau and a Runabout, but
it was the light and sporty Raceabout model where Porter's engine
shined brightest. The latter was a thoroughly unique car with a
lightened frame and bodywork stripped down to its barest
essentials. Driver protection was limited to an optional monocle
windscreen, though goggles would have likely been more effective. A
unique chassis was a half-inch shorter in height than standard to
save weight and bodywork was minimalist yet stylish and racy. With
Porter's new engine, the Mercer Raceabout it struck the perfect
balance between lightness and strength, with the 300 cubic inch
four-cylinder making prodigious horsepower and torque, propelling
the Raceabout to a top speed of 75-plus MPH, yet remaining light
enough over the axle to allow balanced road holding. It can be
easily argued that the Mercer Raceabout was America's first proper
sports car. While there were certainly bigger and more powerful
machines available, the Mercer stood alone in its exquisite
handling, surprisingly light steering and easy, slick-shifting
four-speed gearbox. In 1911, when the model was still quite new, a
pair of Mercer Raceabouts participated in the inaugural
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The cars were driven to the track with
fenders and lights in place, where they were then stripped down,
raced for 500 trouble-free miles (lore says the bonnets were never
opened during the event!), then fenders and lamps reattached and
the cars driven home. It was no doubt a tremendous showing for
Mercer and a move that fully cemented the marque's reputation as a
world-class sporting car manufacturer. This outstanding 1911 Model
35C Raceabout is a very correct and well-restored example. It is
one of just two known Raceabouts fitted with distinct Rudge
knock-off wire wheels and it is both beautifully presented for show
and extremely well-sorted for road use. The known history of this
Raceabout goes back to O.C. Corriher, a textile magnate from
Landis, North Carolina. Mr. Corriher was a well-known collector who
enjoyed large early motorcars from Pierce, Rolls-Royce, Simplex,
Mercer and Thomas. Like most racing cars of the period, few Mercer
Raceabouts survived in their "as built" state, since they were
often used hard, crashed, or valuable parts were scavenged to build
specials. The car was assembled after Mr. Corriher spent many years
acquiring period parts during the 1950's, many of which are
believed to be genuine original Raceabout components. Mr. Corriher
restored the car, and painted the car in a correct shade of light
gray and kept it as a centerpiece in his collection until his
passing in the 1990s. From there the car passed to its most recent
owners who enjoyed it as Mr. Corriher had before embarking on a
comprehensive, high-quality restoration which it wears today. The
car rides on a 4-inch chassis (Runabouts and Tourers used a 4-1/2"
tall chassis) and correct original type Rudge wheels. The engine is
from a Tourer, and is fitted along with a correct Fletcher
carburetor and twin-spark Robert Bosch magneto, and during the
recent restoration a full rebuild, including new 7:1 compression
flat-top cylinders and pistons were fitted to bring the car to full
Raceabout specification. Other items such as the polished
Presto-lite tank, 100-mph Jones speedometer, and the fabulous
Rushmore search light are all correct Raceabout details. The
restoration was completed in 2008 and the car remains in beautiful
condition, having seen only light use and having mellowed slightly
since completion. It was awarded with an AACA National First Prize
that same year, as well as being the recipient of the AACA Cup for
the Most Outstanding Pre-1922 Car for the Eastern Region. It
presents in a striking, period correct yellow and black livery, a
color combo made famous by the racing Mercers. The body is in
excellent order with high quality paintwork and detailing.
Extensive brass is in finely presented, including the original
radiator shell, aforementioned search lamp, as well as dual
carriage lamps and tail lamp. The wooden dash panel is highly
polished and adorned with correct instrumentation while the twin
bucket seats are covered in black leather as original. The car is
pictured wearing two-eared knock-offs on the yellow Rudge wheels,
which are in place for ease of service, however the correct
original hex-shaped knock-offs are also included in the sale. The
engine is fully detailed with correct brass, copper and enamel
finishes and fittings, and it a beautiful thing to behold. The
rebuilt engine is strong and runs exceptionally well. We have
experienced 50+ mph runs in this car, marveling at the handling and
performance that belies its 106 years. The gearbox is remarkably
slick for such a robust unit and the steering surprisingly light
once at speed. The brakes pull the car up reliably and squarely,
with no wandering or drama. This Mercer Model 35C Raceabout truly
is a magnificent machine to drive while presenting in exceptionally
clean, highly correct condition. It remains very-much in showable
condition, beautiful in its brutal simplicity. Yet it is from the
driver's seat, tucked behind the monocle windscreen and savoring
the seemingly endless torque and exhaust bellow from Finlay
Porter's brilliant engine and the sublime balance of the chassis
where this car is best enjoyed.
