1921 Mercer Series 5

FROM THE DICK SHAPPY COLLECTION: The 1921 Mercer Sporting Series 5

The Mercer Automobile Company was founded in 1909 by Ferdinand Roebling, Washington A. Roebling II and John L. Kuser in Hamilton Township, NJ, 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 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 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.

The 1921 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 1920s 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 sought-after by collectors.

Every collection of significant American cars requires a Mercer, one of the great drivers 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 Sothebys

1921 Mercer Series 5 Sporting

by RM Sotheby's

"One of just six 1921 Series 5 Sporting models known to exist
Formerly owned by well-known Mercer connoisseurs
Attractive original patina throughout
A CCCA Full Classic

In 1915, Mercer, the most prominent American manufacturer of performance-oriented automobiles of the decade, introduced its first all-new model since the company started five years prior. The aptly named Series 5 would remain in production for nearly a decade and establish itself, just as earlier Mercers had, as the foremost American speed machine of a new era. Incorporating a brilliant Eric Delling-designed L-head four-cylinder engine with abundant power and flexibility on an advanced chassis with live-axle suspension, it was one of the fastest, most powerful automobiles on the American road.

According to historian Stan Smiths 2019 Mercer Associates roster, the car offered here is one of six known surviving 1921 Series 5 examples in this style, the four-passenger touring car that Mercer aptly but unconventionally dubbed Sporting. Its earliest known owner is recorded as Joe Faltin of Manchester, New Hampshire, proprietor of a trucking company and early enthusiast of these models. After Mr. Faltin, longtime L-head Mercer historian and connoisseur John Rendemonti of Pennsylvania purchased the car. Mr. Rendemonti at one point passed the Series 5 to his friend, the late, well-known trader Mark J. Smith, but it eventually returned to his ownership. The consignor acquired it thereafter, adding it to his large collection alongside several other L-head Mercers.

Under current ownership the car was made to run and fitted with new upholstery. It exhibits a pleasing patina appropriate to what is believed to be the original green paint on the main body tub and doors. The floorboards, still intact with their factory linoleum covering, also appear original. A top and bows are no longer present, and the serial number plate is a reproduction, stamped with the engine number. Nonetheless, this is indisputably an original Series 5 Mercer, well-known to those in the know and, indeed, owned by several such enthusiasts over its long, rich life. It would be ideal for further recommissioning and enjoyment on the road, offering the sporting style that one expects from, well, a Sporting."