I love veteran-era racing cars, just like this 1909 Lorraine-Dietrich 16.4-Liter Grand Prix Two-Seater that was offered at yesterday’s Bonhams Quail auction. Its 4-cylinder engine is simply massive — 16.4 liters equates to about 1,000 cubic inches (with pistons the size of coffee cans)! I guess I wasn’t the only enthusiastic watcher — the final sale was $1,270,000 (with premium), almost double its high estimate.