The Golden Era, Reborn.
We are proud to announce we can now offer our own examples of these iconic “red cars”.
Using the same attention to detail and respect for authenticity as we apply to our XJ13 re-creations, our intention is to produce world-class examples of these sublime cars.
Hand-built near Coventry, England · Built to order
The legend
Between the early 1950s and the mid-1960s, a handful of Italian coachbuilders created the most beautiful competition cars ever made — front-engined V12 gran turismos, clothed in hand-formed aluminium and painted the red of racing Italy. They won on Sunday, were sold to kings and film stars on Monday, and defined elegance for a generation.
Those cars are among the most coveted — and most imitated — machines in motoring history.
Teraluce is our tribute to that era: recreations built the way the originals were made, with the same respect for authenticity we bring to every Building The Legend car.
Each Teraluce is a new car — no badges, no logos. The shape, the spirit, evocative of cars from a golden era.
The range
Each Teraluce is built to order around a V12 — the shape and the spirit of the era's great gran turismos, recreated in our Royal Leamington Spa workshop, close to Coventry. Tell us which machine speaks to you.
A compact, front-engined V12 berlinetta with short-wheelbase poise — the proportions that defined the era's beauty. Period chassis, hand-formed aluminium, built for the road and the ribbon of tarmac.
Road specification · Built to order · On application
The lightweight mid-engined sublime Le Mans Prototype that humbled far more powerful prototypes on the world's toughest circuits. A race-bred V12 in a body of sublime purpose — the most celebrated competition car of its age, recreated.
Race-bred specification · Built to order · On application
A drophead gran turismo for the Pacific coast highway in California — the same V12 heart and coachbuilt body, roofless and utterly glamorous. Built to order, open to interpretation.
Road specification · Built to order · On application
The gallery
From CAD to bare metal — the first Teraluce taking shape in the workshop.
The approach
Built the way the originals were.
A tubular spaceframe, front-engined and rear-driven, jig-built and TIG-welded in our Royal Leamington Spa workshop — faithful to the era's competition practice.
A period-faithful V12, built the way the originals were — or our own tera V12, the quad-cam twelve we design and build in-house. Your choice, advised on how you'll use the car.
Hand-formed aluminium panels, a period-correct interior, wood-rimmed wheel and correct dials — the same fastidious detail as our other recreations. No badges, ever.
Specification
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Chassis | Tubular spaceframe, jig-built |
| Engine | Period-faithful V12, or tera V12 (quad-cam, built near Coventry) |
| Body | Hand-formed aluminium |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual |
| Brakes | Disc, all round |
| Interior | Period-correct |
| Availability | Built to order, on application |
Full specification is prepared per car, on application, and depends on your intended use — road, period racing, or both.
Heritage
The first front-engined V12 gran turismos appear — and the era of the red cars begins.
The short-wheelbase berlinetta takes the era's most beautiful proportions to the race track.
The lightweight gran turismo humbles the prototypes — the most celebrated competition car of its age.
The era ends; the legend remains. We rebuild it, our way.
Questions
No. Teraluce cars are our own recreations of a design era — the front-engined V12 gran turismos of 1950s and 60s Italy. They are built in a historical context as tributes, and are not approved by, endorsed by, or affiliated with any motor manufacturer.
No. Teraluce cars carry no marque badges, logos or model names — on the car, in our literature, or on this website. Every Teraluce is its own machine, built by Building The Legend.
Your choice: a period-faithful V12 built the way the originals were, or our own tera V12 — the quad-cam twelve built near Coventry. We'll advise on the right pairing for how you intend to use the car.
Both. Road and period-racing specifications are available on application. Tell us how you'll use the car and we'll advise.
FIA certification may be possible for period-racing specifications. Tell us your intended use and we'll advise on eligibility.
Each car is built to order, so pricing is on application. Enquire and we'll prepare a specification and quote.
Enquire now
Tell us which machine you have in mind and how you'll use it — we'll come back with a specification, a quote and a build plan.
