From the day the automobile was invented, it seems, people have been thinking up fun and silly things to do with them. Watch Andre Mercier with his wonderful Acrobatic Auto, a French sensation of 1926.
We wish we knew more about Andre Mercier, the subject of this delightful newsreel piece. Hailing from either Paris or Maubeuge, France (it’s unclear which), Monsieur Mercier was the creator and driver of a quite remarkable machine. But alas, all we could find was a small news item in the January 1927 issue of Popular Science Monthly, posted below.
The Pop Sci story describes the base vehicle as only a “five-horsepower European motor car,” generating another minor mystery. (Also, there appear to be two different versions.) We’re hardly experts on French light cars of the period, so if anyone can provide a positive ID on the make, year, and model of the auto (or even a halfway plausible guess) feel free to school us. Now watch this.
Certainly an interesting and even fun concept of a “can’t crash car”, it’s interesting that nobody has thought of anything similar today. They are trying to do it with technology, but mechanics is sometimes the answer. It will be interesting to learn more about the whole ingenuity.
Thank you!
Vassi
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