1958 Mercury Dolphin Scooter 98cc Villiers

1958 Mercury Dolphin Scooter 98cc Villiers

(Now sold)

I sold this Mercury scooter in 2011. It’s now in a museum in Thailand.

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Heres my description from my sales website prior to its sale in 2011:

This Dolphin is in excellent restored condition. I already owned the Hermes, in unrestored original condition, and had done considerable research on the Mercury company for my Cyclemaster Museum, because of their connections with Cyclemaster Ltd. So I jumped when I found this restored Dolphin, which was the model that replaced the disastrous Hermes.

It was on the road until recently; the tax expired in November 2006. It was restored by the previous owner at considerable expense.

This Dolphin was first registered on 31st January 1957, as KCH 537. According to the original logbook (included in this sale) it was purchased by Mr. D.G. Warren of Chellaston, Derbyshire.

According to its history file, he retained the above registration in November 1989. It was re-allocted the registration ACH 617A, and that is the mark that shows on its current Registration Document (V5C). He also corresponded with Classic Bike magazine in 2000, and according to the V5C its last change of keeper was 2004. So I assume it was a one-owner machine for 47 years.

I displayed it at the Vintage Scooter Club Show recently. I’ve not had it running recently, but it started easily and ran well when I bought it 3 months ago. I can’t see anything it would need for its MOT.

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The Mercury Company

Mercury Industries Ltd was a bicycle company founded in Birmingham UK in 1947. They began motorcycle production in Dudley in 1956 with two 50cc models, the Hermes scooter and Mercette , and the following year produced the Grey Streak motorcycle with a two-speed Villiers 98cc engine which sold for £85.10s.

In 1957 they replaced the Hermes with the Dolphin which had a fan-cooled 98cc 2-speed Villiers, and they released the 60cc Whippet scooter (badged as a Dunkley).

In 1958 the Pippin scooter was built at their new premises in Wolverhampton in small numbers before the company folded due to financial difficulties.

Competition was very strong in the light scooter market, the company made many mistakes, and sales were not successful. So today each of these models is a rare and sought-after collectors item.

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NOW SOLD

and on its way to a Microcar/ Scooter Museum in Thailand (along with some of my other scooters)

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