MERCER

Mercer Automobile Co. (1910-1919)
Mercer Motors Co. (1919-1926)
Trenton, New Jersey
Mercer Motors Corp. (1931)
Elkhart, Indiana

This is a Mercer 22-72 radiator emblem (1916)    mjs
Size: 49mm high 43mm wide   MM: Childs

The Mercer was named after Mercer County, New Jersey, where it was made, and where the Mercer Automobile Company was established in 1909 and evolved from the Walter Automobile Company, which had built the Walter and Roebling-Planche automobiles in Trenton, New Jersey (see Walter). The first Mercer cars appeared in 1910 and were available as speedster, toy tonneau and touring models. All models were 30 hp four-cylinder automobiles.

The famous Model 35 T-head Mercer Raceabout was introduced for the 1911 model year. The Mercer Raceabout was a racy machine with a monocle windshield in front, round gasoline tank at the rear, and two bucket seats between. Its coachwork was painted bright yellow with all exposed metalwork finished in polished brass. In 1911, Mercer Raceabouts were entered in six major races and won five of them. In 1912, Ralph De Palma established eight new world records at the Los Angeles Speedway driving a Mercer Raceabout and that year also Spencer Wishart took a Mercer Raceabout from a showroom floor and won a 200 mile race, setting four new world dirt-track records in the process.

The Raceabout was designed by the brilliant automotive engineer, Finley Robertson Porter, who resigned in 1914 and set up his own company to build the FRP (see FRP). Finley was replaced by Eric H Delling, who designed the Mercer L-head 22 Series but who resigned in 1916.

The Mercer was a phenomenal success right through to 1917 and was at the forefront of American motorsport. But, despite this success, the Mercer was beset with problems. The two main financial backers of Mercer died, one in 1917 and the other in 1918. In 1919 a financial syndicate acquired control of Mercer and reorganized the company as Mercer Motors Company. But Mercer's new owners were overambitious and vice-president Emlen S Hare bought out Locomobile and Simplex, forming Hare's Motors Inc, which collapsed in 1921.

The ownership of Mercer changed again and production continued at a reducing rate until it stopped altogether in 1926. The Mercer name and some remaining parts were sold in 1928 to Henry Wahl, who set up Mercer Motors Corporation and tried to revive the Mercer with the help of the Elcar Motor Company, but only one car and a chassis were built in 1931 before the business collapsed with the stock market crash.

Emblems

The first Mercer Model 30 appearing in 1910 did not carry an emblem but did display the "Mercer" name on a brass script attached to the radiator core, see the original photo shown below:

This is a Mercer Model 39 with radiator script (1910)   dpl

Close-up showing Mercer radiator script (1910)    dpl

Mercer radiator scripts continued in use for some years, see later example shown below:

This is a Mercer radiator script (1910-1920s)

The Mercer Model 35 introduced in 1911 did carry a brass shield shaped radiator emblem, see examples shown below:

Mercer 35J Raceabout with rad emblem and script (1913) bonhams

Mercer Model 35 radiator (1911-1913)  ms

This is a Mercer Model 35 radiator emblem (1913)   bonhams

This is the brass Mercer Model 35 Raceabout radiator emblem shown below. This Mercer radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Mercer Raceabout radiator emblem (1911-1914)  mjs
Size: 58mm high 52mm wide   MM: None

Original Mercer Model 35 Raceabout radiator emblems are often well worn, as is the case above. However, emblem collectors should beware, as there are reproduction Mercer Raceabout radiator emblems, see example shown below:

This is a reproduction mercer Raceabout emblem   ms

The Mercer also displayed the "Mercer" name on the hubcaps, see examples shown below:

Mercer Raceabout hubcap showing hub emblem (1913)  bonhams

This is a Mercer hubcap with a hub emblem (1910-1919)   dkc

This is a Mercer hub emblem (1910-1919)   ms
Size: 50mm diameter

This is a Mercer hub emblem (1910-1919)    mjs
Size: 50mm diameter

Original Mercer hub emblems are scarce but emblem collectors should beware, as there are many reproduction Mercer hub emblems.

The "Mercer" name also appeared on a small brass serial plate attached to the dash or under the driver's seat, see example shown below. This Mercer Model 35D serial plate is rare.

This is a Mercer Model 35D serial plate (1912)   mjs
Size: 77mm wide 39mm high

The Mercer L-head Series appeared in 1915 and carried an enamel finished, shield shaped radiator emblem inscribed with the model designation, see example shown below:

This is a Mercer Model 22-70 with rad emblem (1915) custom_cab

This style of Mercer radiator emblem continued until the introduction of the Series 4 Mercer in 1919, see examples shown below.

This is a blue, black and white enamel Mercer Model 22-70 radiator emblem. This Mercer radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Mercer 22-70 radiator emblem (1915)    mjs
Size: 49mm high 43mm wide   MM: Unknown

This is a blue and white enamel Mercer Model 22-72 radiator emblem, also shown above at the top of this post. This Mercer radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Mercer 22-72 radiator emblem (1916)     mjs
Size: 49mm high 43mm wide   MM: Childs

This is a blue and white enamel Mercer Model 22-73 radiator emblem. This Mercer radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Mercer 22-73 radiator emblem (1917-1918)   mjs
Size: 49mm high 43mm wide   MM: Unknown (poss Childs)

This is a blue, black and white enamel Mercer Model 22-73 radiator emblem. This Mercer radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Mercer 22-73 radiator emblem (1917-1918)   mjs
Size: 49mm high 43mm wide   MM: Unknown (poss Childs)

The Mercer radiator emblem lost the model designation for the Mercer Series 4, 5 and 6 commencing in 1919, see Series 5 example shown below:

This is a Mercer Series 5 with radiator emblem (1920) conceptcarz

This is the blue and white enamel Mercer radiator emblem shown below. This Mercer radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Mercer radiator emblem (1919-1925)    mjs
Size: 49mm high 43mm wide   MM: Unknown (some D L Auld)