1915 Mercer Series 5 Raceabout
- Engine
- 298 cu. in. L-head inline four-cylinder, single updraft carburetor, 70 bhp
- Colour
- Yellow
A Mercer Series 5 Raceabout — the two-passenger, open-top sporting model that represented the pinnacle of American performance motoring during the Nickel Era — this example spent its early years in Venezuela, owned by a general under the Gomez regime, accumulating just over 14,500 miles. Discovered there in 1967, it was brought to the United States, where a meticulous multi-year restoration was carried out, and it passed through the hands of several dedicated enthusiasts before reaching its present owner. Original Venezuelan registration and engine and chassis stampings support its authenticity.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$325,000 – US$375,000
- → 1968Acquisition unknownJuan Alvarezpartial documentation
Began a partial restoration and reportedly entered the car in a Caracas race in 1967 before selling to Wolff after extended negotiations.
- 1968 → 1972Private saleRaymond A. Wolfffull documentation
Import-export businessman and collector based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, who arranged shipment to Milwaukee and commissioned a three-year restoration before trading the car toward a vintage Ferrari.
- 1974 → 1997Acquisition unknownLarry Dubbspartial documentation
Germantown, Ohio collector who retained the car for over two decades; partial receipts exist for restoration work by a Mercer specialist during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
- 1997 →Private saleCurrent ownerpartial documentation
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownGeneral Aguiarpartial documentation
Venezuelan military figure who drove the car for approximately five years, accumulating roughly 14,500 miles; the vehicle was subsequently left on his ranch and eventually sold.
Competition
- 1967Caracas race
The car participated in a local Venezuelan race while still undergoing partial restoration under Alvarez's ownership.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Restoration
Juan Alvarez undertook a partial restoration of the car in Venezuela but left the work unfinished.
Carried out prior to the car's sale to Wolff in 1968.
- —Restoration
Full three-year restoration to original specification conducted after the car's arrival in Milwaukee, encompassing engine work, transmission inspection, brake and bearing overhaul. The car was found structurally sound though showing signs of hard use.
Work performed by M.T. 'Joe' Kaufmann and Chuck Kalista over approximately three years following the car's 100-day transit from Venezuela; commissioned by Raymond Wolff.
- —RestorationAntique Auto Shop
Additional restoration work carried out by Mercer specialist Ralph Buckley at his Antique Auto Shop; partial receipts are retained in the car's documentation file.
Conducted during the late 1980s and into the early 1990s while the car was owned by Larry Dubbs; precise scope not detailed in the prose.
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