The French “auto sculptor” will address global design highlights, breakthroughs and trends, starting with the first major mass-production automobile, the classic Ford Model T. He will also discuss the rich history of French contributions to design of automobiles.

His online resume lists one of his accomplishments as being the Lead Sculptor for the interior “garnish and trim” of the Cadillac CTS.

To remind readers of some of the great, not so great and quirky looking French automobiles, there’s several classics, including Peugeots, Renaults, Citroens and their recognizable 2CV and the ever classic Bugatti.

For a look at some of the best classic French cars, click here.

Pierre Paul Andriani, General Motors Designer
La Maison Française
4101 Reservoir Road, NW 
Washington, DC 20007 (map it)
202-944-6091

Dates and Times -  Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. A reception will follow.

Admission – FREE, but reservation are required. To request seats, send an email to culturel.washington-amba@diplomatie.gouv.fr, include your name and number of seats requested.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Farragut West – Blue and Orange lines, and then a 15-minute Metrobus (D6) ride.  I’d recommend taking a taxi.  

Parking – Limited free first come, first serve parking is available in the Embassy’s underground parking garage.  Free street parking is also available in the area. 

Images – Bugatti – Flickr, Citroen 2CV from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

And during a couple weekends over the fall, you too can experience driving not one high-priced super car, but four, all in one day. At the Capital Dream Cars – Power Driving Tour, get behind the wheel of four hot cars, that are out of reach to most drivers, for 3 hours of driving excitement.

The tour puts drivers behind the wheel of 4 exotic cars for three hours of fun driving through the twisty two-lane roads around the Blue Ridge-Piedmont regions of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia.  Plan on getting about 40 minutes behind the wheel of each car.

Tour participants take turns driving the following dream-cars:

• Ferrari 360 Spider (convertible), a $160,000 exotic that looks fast even standing still.
• Lamborghini Gallardo – 0-60 in under 3.7 seconds, top speed 200 mph powered by a V-10, 500+ hp engine.
• Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster (convertible) – At $126,000 you would think it would have a tilt steering wheel and one touch power windows, but who cares? It’s said to be a delight to drive.
• Bentley Continental GT – the ultimate in luxury performance with its twin-turbo W-12 engine (552 hp)

Drivers must complete a pre-tour orientation and get a catered lunch at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia.

Capital Dream Cars – Power Driving Tour
Lansdowne Resort and surrounding area
44050 Woodridge Parkway
Leesburg, VA 20176  (map it)
703-785-9357

Dates and Times – Saturday and Sundays, sessions at either 8:30 – 1:30, 12:00 -5:00 or both, on:

• September 20 & 21, 2008
• November 8, 2008

Cost – $795 for a single driver, $550 per driver in pairs, but you only get 20 minutes of driving per car, versus about 40 as a single driver. Not a bad deal, when you know the Ferrari and Lamborghini each rent for over $1,000 for a 12-hour rental on weekdays.

Requirements - Drivers must be at least 25 years old, hold a current and valid driver’s license, have a clean driving record, and be able to get rental car insurance coverage.

Parking – Free.

Images – Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, Aston Martin,

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Post from: The DC Traveler