From the outside, there is little to distinguish Mahmood Rezaei-Kamalabad’s ALADDIN AUTO SERVICE in Cambridge from that of any other repair shop in the Boston area. Step inside, however, and you will know immediately you are not in a typical chop shop. The last time we were there, Rezaei-Kamalabad, who is not only a mechanic but a sculptor, an inventor, and something of a spiritual guru, had arranged a 40-or-so piece collection of his religious-inspired metal sculptures into a circle, in his waiting room, with his work, The Light, a massive book combining the world’s three holiest texts, at the center. If you go, be sure to check out his invention, the “Aladdin Car,” a converted Dodge Colt Rezaei-Kamalabad rebuilt so that the steering wheel sits in the middle of the vehicle. According to his Web site, this design creates “harmony between the right and left hemispheres, making one’s driving atmosphere balanced, similar to praying.”

ALADDIN AUTO SERVICE | 162 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge | 617.547.8000 | mrkart.com