Our Team - The Talented Craftspeople Behind the Scenes
David Michele
David is co-owner of the shop and has been working on old cars since 1988 when he and his father rebuilt a Fiat X-19. His educational background is in automotive design, and his love of beautiful old cars and all things mechanical led to the creation of European Auto Restoration in 2003.
Juliet Michele
Juliet is co-owner of the shop. She supported the shop in its early years by working as a pastry chef. Her educational background is in graphic design, and now she manages the office, website, and marketing.
Ben Hebel
Ben is a master machinist. He works in our machine shop disassembling and rebuilding engines/transmissions or fabricating parts for other projects.
Dylan Vance
Dylan is a skilled mechanic who is up for any challenge. He approaches every problem with creativity and an open mind.
Gildardo Quiroz
Gil can be found carefully restoring and installing many of the mechanical systems after a vehicle chassis has been painted. He has the patience needed to follow through on a long and complicated rebuild.
Dean Lanham
Dean is a factory trained Porsche mechanic with many certifications and a wealth of knowledge.
Uvaldo Avilez
Uvaldo is a welder and undercarriage restoration specialist. He is skilled in many areas, and he provides a much needed bridge between the mechanical work and the chassis restoration.
Cesar Castilleja
Cesar is an excellent welder, metalworker and all around craftsperson. He is careful, meticulous and has very high standards.
Blake Day
Blake heads up our interior department where he sews and fits custom interiors. He also handles the final assembly stage of many projects. He is detail oriented and strives for perfection.
Anthony Amatangelo
Anthony is a skilled mechanic who handles all kinds of projects from final assembly to mechanical restoration.
Vic Heal
Vic is part of our refinishing team. He is a methodical sander and has the patience to see a car through the process.
Caden Hippie
Caden is a skilled painter, but we always say a great painter is really a great sander. He has the patience to spend many hours applying and sanding down primer to get every surface of a vehicle ready for paint.
Steve Robertson
Steve is a master metal craftsman and painter. He spends long hours sanding, refinishing and painting each vehicle. He was trained by his father, Vern and they co-owned and operated Robertson Auto Body in West Olive, Michigan for decades. He has been with us from the beginning and we are fortunate to have him as part of our team.
Gerardo Michele
Gerardo Michele is a master wood craftsman and he handles all of our wood restoration projects. Gerardo apprenticed under his father in Italy until he moved to Connecticut, where he has worked as a cabinet maker for nearly 40 years. A true perfectionist, his work is as beautiful as it is rare.
Sadie
Sadie & Louis are the current shop dogs. Sadie is our lovely older dog, she is a friendly girl but she has to bark out a hello to everyone!
Louis
Lou is our younger shop dog. He likes to sniff out a greeting but he really just wants to play.
In Memory of
Vern Robertson
Vern Robertson brought us over 40 years of professional experience. He owned and operated Robertson Auto Body, on the north side of Holland, with his 2 sons for nearly 30 years. He was a gifted craftsman and we were fortunate to have him with us during our first few years in business. Vern worked on the Fiat 2100 and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta before he passed away in 2006.
The Dude
The Dude or Doodie was the best old shop dog we ever had. He passed away on a lovely afternoon in September 2018.
