LAST MERCER WILL COMPETE AT 2012 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE

Photo used courtesy of Johnny Crowell/Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.  

LAST MERCER WILL COMPETE AT 2012 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE

Raceabout will Traverse 1,500 Miles en Route to Event 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Photos: http://pebblebeachconcours.net/pages/3017/index.htm  

Contact: Kandace Hawkinson   (831) 622-1700 (khawkinson@pebblebeachconcours.net)  

PEBBLE BEACH,   Calif. (June 4, 2012) -- When the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic commences on   August 7, Johnny Crowell will don his leather cap and goggles and settle in   behind the wheel of his 1925 Mercer Series 6 Raceabout -- the last   Mercer ever to exit the factory.

The Roebling family along with designer Finley Robertson   Porter debuted the Mercer Raceabout Type 35R in 1911. The result was one of   the most admired sports cars of the early era: a stripped-down, two-seat   speedster designed to be driven fast. By 1925, they had perfected it; the   Series 6 is the only model to be powered by a six-cylinder engine, and   Crowell's car, one of just two Series 6 Raceabouts in existence, is the only   Mercer to have factory-installed four-wheel brakes. "All of the other Raceabouts   went like hell but wouldn't stop," says Crowell.

It seems that Crowell has every intention of seeing just how   fast the car deemed America's first race car will go, and right beside him,   giving new meaning to the term "trooper," will be Crowell's wife,   Christine. "We are going from Seattle to Pebble Beach, touring 1,500   miles with no top, no windows and a sorry excuse for a windshield ... and I   suspect we will get some rain," jokes Crowell. "My wife will love   it."

The Pebble Beach Motoring Classic is the ultimate road trip for automotive enthusiasts. The trip begins in Seattle, Washington, and winds   through the Cascade Mountains, scaling Mount Hood and circling scenic Crater   Lake, then eventually crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and tracing the Pacific   Coast toward its final destination-the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,   where Mercer is a featured marque this year.

On arrival, Crowell's Mercer, which made its way into his   hands in February, will make its post-restoration debut on the Concours show   field. This historic automobile was previously owned by the same family for   over 70 years. "It was driven hard and put away wet," explains   Crowell. "It was operational but I wouldn't have wanted to drive it more   than a few feet."

The car is being restored by Adams Custom Engines in Sparks,   Nevada, with the goal of keeping it as original and authentic as possible   while making it a sound driver. Since it was the last Mercer Raceabout built   in the factory, it includes several leftover parts, and the restoration team   has worked hard to identify and keep on the car those parts that ordinarily   would not have been used. Lab tests have been performed on the paint, metal   and wood to determine the timeline of previous maintenance and restoration   efforts. And Crowell has talked with the daughter of the former owner, who   graciously shared memories and information that shed some light on the car's   rich history.

Crowell also has a small collection of trophies won by drivers   who competed in Mercer Raceabouts. One of his trophies was originally won by   a gentleman who bought a Raceabout straight off the dealership lot, raced it,   drove it across the finish line and kept going, setting a world record for   distance. "It was just made to race. It was the Ferrari of its   day," says Crowell. "That's what makes it such a fun car."

This year's Concours d'Elegance will host an unprecedented   assemblage of quintessential, one-of-a-kind and rarely seen Mercers. In   addition to the last production Mercer brought by Crowell, Dave and Denise   Sanders will be showing a rare 1931 prototype, a Mercer Merrimac Convertible   Coupe that was built in a failed attempt to revive the marque.

"Visitors can expect to see cars beginning with the   earliest offerings by the company and several examples of the celebrated 35J   Raceabouts," says Colin Feichtmeir, a member of the Selection Committee   that determines the cars to be invited to participate in the Concours.   "The collection of racecars, the later 'L-head' cars, and the final examples   from the factory make this an unprecedented mosaic of Mercer   automobiles."

In addition to Mercer, the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours   d'Elegance will feature Cars of the Maharajas, Saoutchik Coachwork, AC and AC   (Shelby) Cobra, Fiat, Sport Customs and German Motorcycles. Information and   tickets are available at www.pebblebeachconcours.net.

First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours   d'Elegance® (www.pebblebeachconcours.net)   has grown to be the world's premier celebration of the automobile. Only the   most beautiful and rare cars are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway   of Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and connoisseurs of art and style flock to see   these masterpieces. Charitable donations raised by Pebble Beach Concours   d'Elegance® now total over $14 million. Related events include Pebble Beach   Tour d'Elegance™ presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, and Pebble   Beach® Auctions presented by Gooding & Company. Pebble Beach®, Pebble   Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour   d'Elegance™, and Pebble Beach RetroAuto™ are trademarks, service marks and   trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved. 

Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif.,   owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts®, including The Lodge   at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™ and Casa Palmero®. The company also   operates four renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Spyglass Hill®   Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay™ and Del Monte™ Golf Course. Its other   famed properties include scenic 17-Mile Drive® and The Spa at Pebble Beach™,   and it annually hosts premier events such as Pebble Beach Concours   d'Elegance®, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Callaway Pebble Beach   Invitational, Pebble Beach Food & Wine and the Nature Valley First Tee   Open at Pebble Beach. Site of the 2019 U.S. Open Championship, Pebble Beach   Golf Links® has hosted five U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, one PGA   Championship and numerous other tournaments. For reservations or more   information please call (800) 654-9300 or visit www.pebblebeach.com.     

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