Paul Burns

Immediately after graduating high school, I joined the National Guard. Not because of my extreme sense of patriotism but because they had a short term program if you were under 18 1/2 yrs old. After completing basic training I entered Wentworth Institute. I worked my way through it but it took 3 years. While attending Wentworth, I worked at American Science and Engineering. I studied mechanical engineering with a design option and began working in the architectural field. Although I was very good at it, I just wasn't able to stand at a drafting table for hours on end and draw things that already existed or were stringently dictated. I really wanted to create. My true love had always been cars so I began restoring one car at a time in a rented space here in Marblehead. My work load expanded and I seemed to be in demand so I rented a much larger space and incorporated the business. In 1967 while all this was going on I was asked to drive a top fuel dragster. It was called the Spirit of '76.and we were quite successful racing throughout the northeast. The nickname of Motor was so widely used (many people never knew me as Paul) that the business was named Motor Incorporated. I am currently still owner and president of that business which is located in Marblehead. About thirty years ago we built a new building next to the big dig project known as the transfer station. I have done restorations and redesign jobs for many big names over the years. In 1994 I was hired to do a complete redesign of the new Mustang by Ford Motor Company and Osram Sylvania. They had a joint venture advanced tech. lighting display vehicle to be displayed in Detroit. I did another major redesign of a Chrysler in 1997 for Osram Sylvania as well as several other smaller projects. We have done several cars that have been shipped to Europe and beyond, including a Porsche race car that sold at auction in Paris for a world's record price.. I still work in the shop every day and have no desire to retire. A year ago I married a wonderful woman from Charlestown who works at Morgan Stanley in Boston. This really changed my life for the better. I thought my life was very cool before but had no idea how much better it could be.This year I had two knee replacement surgeries. I rarely even get a cold and had avoided any hospitalization for all these years, but arthritis finally got me. Thank God we only have two legs. I'm telling you these knee replacements really do hurt a bit, I am ten weeks into my second knee and pain level is way down and I'm walking really well. I have had German Shepherds for the past fifty years and currently have a ten year old and we are picking up an eight week old pup at the airport at 5:30 am tomorrow. We are very excited about him. I have never had any children and we have no plans for any in the future. ALL IS WELL.             See you at the birthday party