Paris Motor Show 2008

I have never been a petrol head, aka car enthusiast,  so it is a real mystery where Jack gets his passion for all things automotive. It must have come from the Beeby gene pool along with his shyness and short temper.. hang on, no sorry - that last one is definitely one of mine. Where were we..cars. A few years back Jack came home from school and started asking questions about cars and although his interests have extended now to include jet aircraft; his love for fast expensive cars is still very alive.  We had a really interesting discussion around a year ago.. he was going on about all the sports cars he wanted to own when he grew up. I lead him on for awhile but then raised the problem of money.  After this concept had sank in, I dropped the predictable "if you worked really hard at your school work then maybe (one day).." This totally shut him up (for about a week) but eventually he came back to me with a better plan. "Dad, if I become an artist - I could sell paintings and make lots of money to buy nice cars".   As mentioned in my tune-up earlier this week, I had promised Jack a special treat to reward his efforts at school.  I'm sure he will get a real buzz from the one-on-one trip up to Paris with Dad and yes I also fully expect to still be answering questions about the car show this time next year.. but it will have been worth it.  You can follow our progress right here.. I promise daily updates. Despite my lack of interest in all things automotive  I am sure that there will be some interesting models to look at...  and you never know there might even be some cool cars as well:) Well done to my niece Amy Beeby, and friends/ ex-colleagues Sean and Gary on winning the "guess the destination of our secret trip" competition.  Your prizes will be purchased in Paris this weekend. However, please note, they will not resemble the pictures opposite in any respect!!!! Psst. This is still a secret so don't tell Jack - he thinks he going to Bordeaux on the train.

Paris Car Show Facts: The Paris Motor Show, the original motor show now in its 100th Year, will be held at Paris Porte de Versailles, from 4 to 19 October 2008, taking up the entire exhibition park. Several hundred international brands and a record-breaking number of 90 world premières have already been announced, including several dozen new models using ground-breaking technology, avant-garde prototypes, all-new concept cars and dream cars! As a venue for innovation par excellence, the Paris Motor Show also aims to provide fun and learning opportunities. As such, new events are on offer free of charge, including a learner track for eco-driving and an electric car trial track, not forgetting an indoor electric karting track and a fabulous exhibition on taxis from all over the world.