One day, as his son tells us in this video from RUF, service garage owner Alois Ruf Sr. was driving a bus when a Porsche 356 Karmann notchback tried to pass him. It lost control, slid into the ditch, and rolled a few times. He made sure the driver was alright, then bought the car and fixed it up. Later, he sold it for an eye-opening profit. There’s something about Porsche owners, the Rufs realized. Ruf’s son developed an abiding passion for 911s, and by the time Porsche itself decided the 911 was a dead end and started pushing the 928 on enthusiasts, Ruf Jr. saw his opportunity.
The 911 wasn’t dead and didn’t die despite the 928’s best efforts. But, as Ruf relates, the price and performance differential between the 911 SC and the 911 Turbo was vast. Here, there was an opening for RUF to produce a series of modified cars, providing well-heeled enthusiasts with the 911s that Porsche itself wasn’t providing at that moment. That led to ever-faster and more powerful models, and ultimately to the one that put RUF firmly on the map: the CTR, better known as the Yellowbird.
This video, produced by RUF and obviously portraying the company in a positive light, isn’t exaggerating when it claims the movie the company produced about the CTR—Faszination am Nürburgring—became arguably the first viral video about cars. Interviewees relate how they passed around VHS copies. Even in the early internet era, before YouTube, it was a coveted video passed between savvy car friends. It wasn’t even produced with the intent to be such an iconic touchstone for car enthusiasts—it was a side project, according to RUF, intended for diehard insiders and owners. Of course, it blew up the company’s profile.
But truthfully, the company’s profile had already been raised sky-high by a famous article published by Road & Track, where its overpowered 911 crushed all comers in absolute speed—including tuned Ferraris and other assorted European exotica. Thus a legend was born. And thanks to its inclusion in the Gran Turismo franchise (Polyphony Digital president Kaz Yamauchi burst into Ruf’s hotel and asked if the cars could be in the game), a new generation was tuned in to the company’s mystique.
We know where it went from there. Alois Ruf’s creations became wilder and more divergent from their Porsche roots, with the culmination being the 2017 RUF CTR, the similar RUF SCR, and perhaps the equally outrageous RUF Rodeo. Clearly an homage to the Yellowbird, the newer CTR looks vintage but is perhaps the one RUF least related to a Porsche. The monocoque isn’t from a Porsche at all, but rather a bespoke carbon-fiber job. If you understand where Ruf came from and his aversion to tech that reduces the car’s analog feel, it’s perhaps the ultimate expression of his vision for the company that bears his last name. A love letter to the cars that he built his life around, but done his way—respectful, but original. And of course, very fast.
And whether you have a deep love for RUF or are interested in learning more about the brand, this short documentary video is well worth a watch. Enjoy.
