Mercer Type 35R Raceabout
The Mercer Raceabout was a road car you could drive to a race, compete in, refit with lamps and fenders, and drive home again.
1911 Mercer Model 35 Raceabout · Sicnag · CC BY 2.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Finley Robertson Porter designed the Type 35R for the Mercer Automobile Company in Trenton, New Jersey. It arrived in 1911 as an elemental two-seater with a huge four-cylinder engine, little bodywork and famous balance. This page stays with the first-year 35R, not the later 35-C, 35-J or modern replicas.
Look a little closer.
Mercer guaranteed a Raceabout could reach at least 70 mph on public roads, when many ordinary cars struggled to reach 50.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A sports car before the term was common
The Raceabout stripped away doors, a windshield and heavy coachwork, then concentrated on balance, control and speed. RM Sotheby's describes it as helping define the sports-car idea years before that label became everyday language.
Source: RM Sotheby's · 1911 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout ↗Competition proved the road car's point
Two 35Rs finished the first Indianapolis 500 despite engines much smaller than many rivals. Stock Raceabouts also scored major wins in 1911 and 1912, showing wealthy amateur drivers that the same machine could handle ordinary roads and serious racing.
Source: Heritage Museums & Gardens · 1912 Mercer Raceabout ↗Where these facts come from
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.