1921 Mercer Sporting

• ENGINE: Four-Cylinder L-head
• VIN#: 5988
• HP: 70
• TRANSMISSION: Four-Speed Manual
• FEATURES: Orig­inal Paint & Wire Wheels, Leather Interior, New Running Boards
• MANUFACTURED: Trenton, New Jersey

The 1921 Mercer Sporting was the stylish and more affordable version of the Series 5, introduced in 1920 and offered in a variety of body styles, including the renown Race­about. It was stylish and elegant but built for performance and handling and went for around $4,950 in 1921.

“Alongside the 1920's generation of Mercer Race­abouts, Mercer coachwork options included one of the most elegant sports touring cars of its day, which they termed simply the “Sporting”. Its design was typically advanced, with its lightly barrel sided body perfectly extending the line of its hood and radiator, bringing with it both aesthetic and aerodynamic benefits.” -Bonhams, The Scottsdale Auction

It is estimated that only a handful of Sporting models survive and they are considered relatively rare and are sought- after by collectors.

“Every collection of significant Amer­ican cars requires a Mercer, one of the great driver’s cars of their or any other time. This one allows its new owner to take three friends along for the ride in an experience that is truly, well, sporting.”

-RM Sotheby’s

The Mercer Automobile Company

The Mercer Automobile Company was founded in 1909 by Ferdinand Roebling, Wash­ing­ton A. Roebling II, and John L. Kuser in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, to produce high-performance cars. The company evolved from the takeover of the Walter Automobile Company, manufacturer of the Walter and Roebling-Planche automobiles, after the Roebling family made a fortune from the creation of tensioned wire rope suspension bridges, such as the Brooklyn Bridge. They teamed up with the Kuser family, owners of a vacant brewery, into which they moved their operation, and the company was run and managed by the Roeblings.

The first Mercer, designed with engineer Finley Robertson Porter, became available for purchase in 1910 as a speedster, toy tonneau, or touring car with a four-cylinder L-head Beaver engine. They were relatively expensive and were advertised with slogans such as, “It is possible to thread a needle while traveling 60 mph.” In 1912, Wash­ing­ton died aboard the Titanic, and by 1914, Porter had resigned, and Eric H. Delling designed a new L- head, four-cylinder engine with at least 70 HP. He added windshields, bench seats, enclosed coachwork, and Houdaille shock absorbers to the product line before departing in 1916. The following year, F.W. Roebling died, followed shortly by his brother and ownership passed to an investment syndicate by the name of the Mercer Motors Company. Led by Emlen Hare, former Vice President of Packard, they acquired an interest in Loco­mobile and Crane-Simplex, but the syndicate had collapsed in the post-WWI economy by 1921. Control was returned to the founding families, and manufacturing continued until 1925, producing an estimated 5,500 vehicles.

The Mercer automobiles would be known as possibly the first Amer­ican sports cars, designed for the track and the street with high-performance racing capabilities. They were highly sought-after for their exceptional handling, quality construction, and powerful performance. Mercers competed fiercely on the track with the Stutz Bearcat as a dominant force in early Amer­ican racing, reaching speeds of 80 mph. The high-quality materials and craftsmanship that went into their design resulted in the survival of 140 Mercer automobiles, now coveted by the collector and the history buff alike.