Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 19160
Engine No. 6458
The Mercer Automobile Company was established in May 1909 in
Trenton, New Jersey, evolving from the Walter Automobile Company.
It was organized by Washington A. Roebling II, with financial
support from the Kuser family. The company's first cars debuted in
1910, designed by A.R. Kingston, E.T. George, and C.G. Roebling,
and were powered by four-cylinder L-head Beaver engines. In late
1910, Mercer introduced the T-head Raceabout for the 1911 model
year-engineered by Finley Robertson Porter and promoted by
Roebling. It quickly earned a reputation as one of America's
earliest and most legendary performance cars.
Tragedy struck Mercer in 1912 when Roebling perished aboard the RMS
Titanic, and again in 1914 when Porter resigned. That year, Eric H.
Delling stepped in to design a new 70-horsepower L-head engine. He
also refined Mercer's models with modern features like windshields,
bench seating, Houdaille shock absorbers, and enclosed coachwork.
Despite the challenges, Mercer launched the Series 5 in 1915, the
company's first all-new model. Produced for nearly a decade, the
Series 5 solidified Mercer's status as a premier American speed
machine during the Nickel Era.
The remarkable journey of this 1922 Mercer Raceabout began in 1930
when Vincent Galloni purchased it from the original owner in
Pennsylvania. Galloni had joined the Walter Automobile Company in
1909 and stayed with Mercer through its final days in 1924.
Afterward, he operated a Mercer repair shop in Trenton, earning the
nickname "Mr. Mercer." He maintained, rather than restored, this
Raceabout throughout his ownership until 1950, when it was sold to
Morris Burrows for $3,400 with just 9,000 miles on the
odometer.
Burrows brought the car to Windsor, Vermont, and enthusiastically
drove it to events like the 1952 and 1960 Vintage Motor Car Club of
America meets and on the AACA's Glidden Tours in 1957 and 1976. It
returned to Trenton in 1976 for the bicentennial Mercer Reunion and
again in 1978 for display at the New Jersey State Museum. During
Mr. Burrow's ownership, he treated the highly original Mercer to
mechanical restoration work by Ralph T. Buckley's Antique Auto
Shop, Inc of Pleasantville, New Jersey. In 1989, Burrows sold the
car to Hemmings Motor News editor David Brownell. It later passed
to David Noran in 1992, and finally to Tom and JoAnn Martindale in
2008. During the Martindale's ownership, the impressive Mercer has
been enjoyed on tours and kept in good mechanical condition while
further preserving the car's exceptional originality, and was shown
by the Martindale's at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance.
Now showing only 28,434 believed-original miles, this uncommonly
preserved Mercer has never undergone a full restoration after 103
years of service. Original factory finishes and stampings are
present throughout the car, and what is believed to be the original
interior remains in remarkable condition. The mighty impressive
history file accompanying the Mercer Raceabout contains numerous
records, letters, and old photographs, neatly documenting the car's
undisputed history. Unlikely to ever be repeated, this Raceabout
remains a truly captivating example of the premier American Nickel
Era speed machine.
