1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet

11 Paul Omohundro — The Man Paul Hardwicke Omohundro Jr, was born on January 18, 1915. He loved cars so much that as he was growing up, he made sure his sisters, Heloise and Lucretia, knew the make and model of every car on the road when they were only seven and eight years old. Paul started his professional life at a young age when shortly after his high school graduation in 1933, th e family moved to Bellflower, California, and he sought work at the local gas station— ” The Green and White. ” He got the job by suggesting he should work for no pay for a week. By the end of that week he was hired— $1.25 per day— not a bad rate for the day. The owner was so impressed with Paul ’ s work ethic that he ran an ad in the local newspaper inviting patrons to “ Come in and meet Paul. ” Paul ultimately left the “ Green and White ” to work at Vultee Aircraft and then Lockheed in the foundry. In the mid ’40 s, Paul started the Comet Company in Los Angeles, California, specializing in stamping and foundry processes in making metal parts. In the later ‘40 s, he opened the Paul Omohundro Company in Paramount, California, specializing in reinforced plastics. As the company grew, he gravitated toward the defense industry, and in 1957 he sold the business to U.S. Chemical Milling. Retirement was not all Paul thought it would be, so in 1963 he re - opened the Omohundro Company in Costa Mesa, California, focusing on products made from reinforced plastics, particularly radomes. During Paul ’ s later years, he and his wife Lois spent much of their leisure time traveling from their home base in Nevada. Since driving was in his blood, he drove two and three times a day to his son ’ s business in Minden, Nevada, “ just to check in on the boys. ” He would often drive to Carson City, Reno, or even Bend, Oregon, to meet the people he was doing business with saying he preferred “ to look ‘ em in the eyes ” rather than calling. Paul was ultimately recognized as a pioneer in the field of composites, and sold the business to his son Tom in 1978. He passed away on December 1, 2004 at the age of 89. Paul ’ s legacy lives on through his friends and family who acknowledge him as a visionary. The embodiment of his spirit is shown in his development of the Comet sports car and his subsequent successful business ventures.