RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.
Long before the Model T, there was the La Marquise - a motorcar that drove in the first automobile race back in 1887 and is still running, which is why the car got a standing ovation when it drove onstage at a recent auction, and a winning bid of over $4.5 million. The French-made motorcar runs on steam. It speeds along at 38 miles per hour, but not for long, since its engine needs a water refill every 20 miles. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.