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Car of the Day: March 23, 2016; High Speed '11 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout
Topic Started: Mar 23 2016, 12:48 AM (480 Views)
Dean-o-mite
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Muscle Car

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Today's car of the day is High Speed's 1911 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout.


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Wikipedia
 
Mercer was an American automobile manufacturer from 1909 until 1925. It was notable for its high-performance cars, especially the Type 35 Raceabout. Mercer was named after Mercer County, New Jersey. Talented designers and race drivers contributed to the new effort, and the focus became proving their product in competition. The result was one of the most admired sports cars of the decade; the 1910 Type-35R Raceabout, a stripped-down, two-seat speedster, designed to be "safely and consistently" driven at over 70 mph (110 km/h). It was capable of over 90 mph (140 km/h). The Raceabout's inline 4-cylinder T-head engine displaced 293 cubic inches (4,800 cc) and developed 55 horsepower. It won five of the six 1911 races it was entered in, losing only the first Indianapolis 500. Hundreds of racing victories followed. The Raceabout became one of the premier racing thoroughbreds of the era- highly coveted for its quality construction and exceptional handling.



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For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Mercer


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Another of the High Speed pre-war classics that was released as part of the Reader's Digest subscription promotion, I got this Mercer model from my grandparents. The promotional paperwork advertising the toy cars indicated this replicates a 1911 Mercer, and that it had a four-cylinder T-head engine producing 30 hp, which differs from the Wikipedia information, which says the Mercer Raceabout had 55 hp. Although the Wikipedia article focuses on a 1910 Mercer, I find it difficult to fathom that the company would have developed a less powerful engine for their car the following year. Unless maybe this is a road going version that wasn't mentioned, and did in fact have a less capable motor...(??) But since I don't know anything about the car other than what I've read on the Reader's Digest flyer and on the Wikipedia page, I don't know what to make of the discrepancy.


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There was considerable talent and backing for the Mercer Automobile Company; Ferdinand Roebling, son of John A. Roebling, was the president, and his nephew Washington A. Roebling II was the general manager. The Roeblings had extensive success with wire rope manufacturing and suspension bridge design; engineering was not a recent concept for them. In October, 1919, after the last involved Roebling brother died (Washington A. Roebling II perished in the 1912 Titanic disaster), the company was obtained by a Wall Street firm that placed ex-Packard vice-president Emlem Hare in charge, organizing Mercer under the Hare's Motors corporate banner. Hare looked to expand, increasing Mercer's models and production, and also purchasing the Locomobile & Crane-Simplex marques. Within a few years, the cost of these acquisitions and the economic recession took a financial toll on Hare's Motors. Locomobile was liquidated and purchased by Durant Motors in 1922, and Mercer produced its last vehicles in 1925, after some 5,000 had been built.



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pjedsel
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Muscle Car
:thumbup: Ya gotta love those vintage, brass era cars that High Speed offered as part of the Reader's Digest Series. It has always surprised me that no other mfg. has really offered anything from this era outside of Model T and Model A Fords and a few others in 1/64th/3 inch but...what a unique selection with the offerings from High Speed. Yes, they are on the crude side but also have a charming feature to them as well.
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cody6268
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Minivan
I think I have one of these, but it doesn't have the rear-mount spare tire (probably broke off). Not bad, but I like the older wheels better.
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ivantt
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New casting? Quick! Take it apart!
I can hear the backfires.
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zzziippyyy
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Drive it like you stole it!
Not a model you see everyday, this in 1:1 is way before my time so I don't have full appreciation for them but its a nice one to see
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