1913 Mercer 35-J Raceabout
1913 Mercer 35-J Raceabout
Grosse Pointe, Michigan, July 12, 2024 – 1913 Mercer 35-J Raceabout with Single Family Ownership Since 1959 Highlights Brass Era Brilliance at the Upcoming Broad Arrow Monterey Jet Center Auction
GROSSE POINTE, Michigan, July 12, 2024 – Broad Arrow Auctions, a Hagerty (NYSE: HGTY) company, is thrilled to announce the consignment of a truly spectacular motor car in the 1913 Mercer 35-J Raceabout, estimated at $2,500,000 – $3,000,000 to its 2024 Monterey Jet Center Auction this August 14 and 15. Emerging from long-term hibernation only recently, the 1913 Mercer is unique in that it has been in the care of its current owner’s family since 1959, undoubtedly one of the longest-known tenures in Raceabout ownership history. As one would expect with any ownership of that length, the Mercer is accompanied by a wealth of documentation, personal correspondence, historical photography, and family memories from their six-decade-long stewardship – all making this one very special and unique example and virtually peerless among its contemporaries, with known history back to new.
David Swig, Senior Car Specialist, states, “In all of my years of being a car specialist, I have never had the pleasure of being involved with a car quite like the Mercer. It is a car which exudes the excitement of the early motoring age — a remarkable example that has survived for more than 110 years. Today, it remains a breathtaking, exhilarating motor car that is as much a testament to the manufacturer’s superior original engineering but also to its fastidious care and preservation by the family that has owned it since 1959. On behalf of my colleagues at Broad Arrow, I can say with authority how excited we all are to feature and highlight this most important Brass Era motor car at the 2024 Monterey Jet Center Auction.”
The mighty Mercer Raceabout has long been celebrated as one of the ultimate examples among all automobiles of the Brass Era. Considered to predate the Ferrari GTO as the contemporary sports car of its kind by about five decades, today, Mercers, and most specifically, Raceabouts, remain one of the most sought-after of all Brass Era motor cars as a result. They represented one of America’s first true sports cars, setting new standards for performance and engineering. The occasion for their availability is incredibly scarce with few examples changing hands on the open market. The availability of this Mercer Raceabout after 65 years of single-family ownership is truly remarkable we look forward to presenting this outstanding piece of automotive history at the 2024 Monterey Jet Center Auction.
Broad Arrow Auctions is also pleased to announce a date change for this year’s Monterey auction as, for the first time, the Motorlux event will serve as the backdrop for a selected offering of approximately 40 cars to be auctioned on Wednesday evening, the 14th, with the auction beginning at 5:30 pm. The auction will continue Thursday, the 15th with the sale beginning at 3:00 pm. Please visit the Broad Arrow website for additional information on the upcoming auction and to purchase Motorlux tickets directly, please visit the Motorlux website directly.
