The studio

Umberto De Caires

Umberto De Caires

Umberto De Caires grew up in his father's workshop. His father, an aerospace engineer with a precise mind and hands that could build anything, brought him into projects from an early age. Scale models, engines, mechanisms. The habit of taking things apart and understanding them properly formed early.

He trained as a mechanic in Venezuela, through a course focused on racing, where tolerances matter and shortcuts cost races. He moved into custom motorbike work, then to Italy for bodywork and paintwork. Each discipline added a layer: engine, chassis, surface, finish.

Bristol came next. Years working on classic vehicles: Jaguars above all, but also Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Triumph, MG, Aston Martin. Working independently, for people who cared about what they drove.

De Caires Classics is now based in the Maremma, Tuscany. The same approach. A longer list of experience behind it.

Experience

Marques worked on

British Classics

Jaguar, Triumph, MG, Aston Martin, Land Rover. Particular depth of experience with Jaguar: XK, E-Type, XJ, and Mk series.

Italian Classics

Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati, Lancia. Cars that reward careful work with a character no modern vehicle replicates.

European & Other

Porsche, Mercedes, and others. The approach is the same regardless of nationality: understand the car, work to its standard, not beneath it.

Motorcycles

Custom builds and modifications. Mechanical and cosmetic work. A different discipline. The same attention to detail.

Philosophy

How we work

Every restoration begins with a conversation. Before any work starts, we need to understand the car: its history, its condition, what it has been through, and what the owner hopes to achieve. That conversation shapes everything that follows.

We do not promise timelines we cannot keep, or quote prices without understanding the scope. A car that looks presentable may be concealing significant structural work. We assess honestly and report honestly. The conversation after the assessment is as important as the assessment itself.

The work is done to a standard we would accept on our own vehicles. That is the only measure that makes sense.

Consultations by appointment.

Based in the Maremma. Available across Tuscany and beyond.

Get in touch