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Rare cars find road home
Monday, July 13, 2009 BY ERIN DUFFY
ROEBLING -- They sat lined up in a row, paint gleaming and hubcaps shining in the late-afternoon sun: 21 cars classic enough to make any auto enthusiast drool.
Parked on the lawn of the Roebling Museum, the cars are exceedingly rare and valuable. Experts estimate there are only about 130 or so left in the world. Only 75 or so of those are still running.
Certain models have been known to fetch upward of $1.5 million at auctions, and even famed car collector Jay Leno owns one.
The cars, certainly impressive in their own right, have another, more local claim to fame: They were built in Mercer County.
Yesterday's event at the newly opened museum celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Mercer Automobile Company, the joint venture founded by two of the area's most prominent families, the Roeblings and the Kusers.
Built in a factory in Trenton from 1909 to 1925 and named for the county, Mercer automobiles have become some of the most-prized cars in the country, if not the world, as evidenced by the hundreds of onlookers and car enthusiasts, some of them from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, who attended yesterday's event.
"Few people know that one of the most interesting cars in the early 20th century were produced here," said Clifford Zink, a local historian and the co-author of "Mercer Magic," a booklet dedicated to the cars and the company that manufactured them.
Started in 1909 by the Roebling and Kuser families, the Mercer Automobile Company was run by Ferdinand Roebling, the son of famed Brooklyn Bridge engineer John A. Roebling, and his nephew, Washington Roebling. John L. Kuser, whose family had stakes in brewing, banking and public-utility services, served as the company's secretary and treasurer.
The company produced only 5,000 cars during its brief heyday, but among those was the Raceabout, considered by many to be America's first true sports car and comparable in power, speed and quality to a Ferrari or Lamborghini.
"They were kind of the hot-rod cars of the day," said Stan Lucas, a 1912 Raceabout owner from Long Beach, Calif.
Back then, the Raceabout sold for about $2,000, a princely price tag that would equal roughly $60,000 today. But for those interested in the growing car craze, the Raceabout's smooth handling and peppy engine was worth the price.
"To drive the Mercer Raceabout is purely a joy, and the best thing about it is it's a Trenton product," said Karl Darby, a Roebling descendant who helped organize the event and the owner of two Mercers himself: a 1914 Runabout and a 1921 touring car.
According to Zink, the Raceabout was marketed primarily as a dual-purpose car, as a race car that could reach then-astounding speeds of 70 to 80 mph and rack up numerous Grand Prix racing trophies, but one that could also be taken out on the road for a lazy Sunday drive.
"Really, the cars speak for themselves when you see them. You don't have to be a car connoisseur when you look at these and just think to yourself, 'Wow, how beautifully made these are and how fun to drive they must be,'" Zink said.
The cars didn't seem to disappoint yesterday's onlookers, who crowded in close to examine the engines and other features of the Mercers, many of them exclaiming at the top-notch handiwork and details of the cars, like the unusual monocle-style windshields.
"I think the really special thing is being able to see all of them at once," said Dennis Montagna, of Narberth, Pa. "The best part is to be able to eavesdrop and listen to the owners. No one collects them without enjoying talking about it."
Many of the Mercer owners in attendance seemed more than happy to show off their cars to curious onlookers, like John Libaire from Beaufort, S.C., whose 1921 Raceabout serves as an unusual family heirloom.
Libaire's grandmother first purchased the car back in 1926, and it was handed down to Libaire's father, and eventually to him, during the years.
"It means a lot to the whole family," he said. "I get calls from cousins, kids. 'How's it running?'"
Al and Sharon Mercer, from St. Charles, Mo., first purchased their 1922 Runabout 27 years ago, and have spent the past six years painstakingly restoring the vintage vehicle, down to the tool pouch that folds into one of the doors, ready for any quick repairs.
"My wife says it's for lipstick, cell phone and mascara," Al Mercer joked. "It was way ahead of its time."
Both Al Mercer and Lucas praised the centennial celebration, saying it wasn't often that so many Mercer autos were gathered in one place.
"It's kind of a rare event," said Lucas. "It's unlikely to happen again in our lifetime."
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