Learn About Ruf’s History And Its Deep Connection With Porsche

Immediately, individuals typically affiliate names like TechArt or Singer with Porsche customization, however there’s an organization whose connection to the German sports activities automotive marque runs a lot deeper: Ruf. Additionally hailing from Germany, Ruf has carved out a repute for creating among the most spectacular efficiency vehicles, both based mostly on a Porsche or carrying a Porsche-like silhouette.

Fashions similar to the unique CTR “Yellowbird” based mostly on the Porsche 911, which graced journal covers and posters within the Eighties, and the extra trendy SCR with its carbon-fiber chassis, have helped cement Ruf’s legacy as a number one efficiency marque.

And in contrast to its rivals, Ruf is formally acknowledged as a automobile producer in its personal proper, constructing vehicles from the bottom up on in-house developed chassis. A lot of the confusion about Ruf’s id stems from the truth that its personal vehicles carefully resemble Porsches, regardless that they carry Ruf VINs and engineering. Ruf’s creations showcase a a lot greater degree of design and craftsmanship than your typical modified automotive, proving the corporate is way over a tuner. This is how its journey started.

A Probability Encounter With A Porsche 356

Porsche

Ruf traces its roots again to 1939, when Alois Ruf, Sr established the restore store Auto Ruf within the Bavarian city of Pfaffenhausen, simply exterior Munich. The enterprise later expanded to constructing its personal vacationer buses, and in November 1963, whereas driving one in all these, Ruf, Sr encountered a Porsche 356 Karmann Hardtop that will primarily kickstart the corporate’s reference to Porsche.

The driving force of the 356, trying to overhaul the bus, misplaced management and crashed right into a ditch. Ruf, Sr took the injured man to hospital and promised to take care of the wrecked automotive – a automotive Ruf, Sr would ultimately personal himself.

Towards the top of 1964, whereas driving the 356 by means of Munich along with his son, Alois Ruf, Jr, within the passenger seat, a person approached at a site visitors cease and requested to purchase the automotive. The provide was beneficiant, and the three went again to the stranger’s condominium, the place he revealed that he owned a 356 with Reutter bodywork however desired the Rufs’ newer and rarer Karmann-bodied automotive.

A deal was struck: the Rufs bought their 356 Karmann Hardtop, paid for on the spot with a wad of money saved in a sweet field. They nonetheless wanted to get dwelling and have been loaned the thriller man’s 356 Reutter.

On the way in which dwelling, the daddy and son realized that Porsche followers may actually be fanatical, and that catering to them could possibly be the inspiration of a terrific enterprise. Although nonetheless a teen, Ruf Jr already sensed the potential for constructing a efficiency model round Porsches.

Hooked On The 911

Ruf

It was additionally in 1964 that the younger Alois Ruf encountered the 911 for the primary time, as soon as once more along with his father in tow. The 2 have been touring in an early Opel Rekord alongside a stretch of the A8 autobahn between Munich and Stuttgart on a wet day when a blue sports activities automotive sped previous – a mannequin he acknowledged as Porsche’s still-in-development successor to the 356, which the motoring press on the time known as the Porsche 2000.

The sighting occurred in April that 12 months, roughly when Porsche was near signing off on the unique 911, which was then nonetheless referred to as the 901. The title modified after about 80 901s have been constructed to keep away from trademark points with Peugeot, whose mannequin names additionally used three digits with a zero within the center.

By 1969, the 911 had been in manufacturing for 5 years, and Ruf, who turned 19 that 12 months, acquired one as a birthday current from his father. The automotive was in tough form, having been in an accident and lacking its engine, however Ruf eagerly took on the problem of restoring it and driving it as soon as he handed his driver’s examination. As an inexperienced driver, he and his father put in a flat-4 engine from a 912 as an alternative of the extra highly effective flat-6 used within the 911.

Extremely, a long time later, Ruf found throughout a restoration that his first 911 was really an early 901. It was simply the sixth instance ever constructed, a automotive used for testing and which may fairly probably be the exact same blue automotive he had seen on that wet day along with his father within the Opel. Earlier house owners of his 901 included none apart from Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, and Hans Mezger, the legendary Porsche engine designer.

The Constructing Of A Legend

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Ruf’s father handed away in 1974, leaving the son chargeable for the household’s firm on the tender age of 24. Underneath his course, the corporate turned its focus in the direction of tuning vehicles in addition to repairing and restoring them, and the primary Ruf-tuned 911 was launched only one 12 months later.

Enterprise actually picked up within the late Seventies, attributable to Porsche introducing the 928 in 1977 because the 911’s successor and hinting on the demise of the rear-engined sports activities automotive. Whereas that by no means occurred, Porsche’s deal with the 928 left a distinct segment for Ruf to ship upgrades to the 911.

Not lengthy after, Ruf started growing the automotive that will cement its repute: the CTR “Yellowbird.” The mission kicked off in 1979 because the 945R, with plans to make use of a 450-horsepower twin-turbocharged flat-6 derived from the engine utilized in Porsche’s 935 race automotive. Manufacturing realities compelled Ruf to tone down his ambitions, with the Yellowbird lastly debuting in 1987 based mostly on a donor 911 Carrera 3.2 chassis and operating a closely modified model of that automotive’s engine.

Displacement was bumped to three.4 liters from the inventory 3.2, and a customized twin-turbocharging system was put in to assist enhance output to round 460 hp. It was round this time Ruf grew to become a producer, due largely to authorized realities that demanded Ruf’s merchandise be fully separated from Porsche, when it comes to legal responsibility.

With the Yellowbird on sale, the automotive’s fame skyrocketed because of the video Faszination Nürburgring launched the identical 12 months, that includes the automotive racing and drifting across the ‘Ring. Within the pre-internet period, it was shared on VHS, and helped set up Ruf’s mystique. The model gained additional recognition in 1998 when Kazunori Yamauchi, producer of the Gran Turismo online game sequence, tracked down Alois throughout a go to to Japan and secured permission to characteristic Ruf vehicles within the video games.

Nonetheless, the most important enhance got here from successful a 1987 Highway & Observe competitors that pitted the CTR in a contest of the world’s quickest vehicles. The Ruf outpaced rivals from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche, reaching a prime pace of 211 mph and firmly cementing its title on the automotive map.

On To Its Fourth-Era CTR And Extra

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Ruf is immediately constructing the fourth-generation of the CTR, the CTR Anniversary, a mannequin whose design resembles that of the unique CTR of 1987 however with a bespoke carbon-fiber chassis as an alternative of 1 borrowed from Porsche. It represents a return to the unique formulation after the earlier CTR3 went in a extra excessive path with a mid-engine format meant to evoke Le Mans race vehicles. The “C” within the CTR title, in spite of everything, stands for Group C, whereas the “TR” stands for Turbo Ruf.

Ruf additionally has extra mannequin strains, together with the naturally aspirated SCR, the R Spyder speedster, and its latest entry, the Rodeo. The latter is a rugged mannequin impressed by Ruf’s spouse Estonia and her fondness for American cowboy tradition. Ought to the client want, it may be outfitted with trim that takes cues from the Ralph Lauren Ranch, similar to seats adorned with saddle brown leather-based and a western-themed patterned cloth that extends to the dashboard, door panels, and headliner.

Ruf used August’s Monterey Automotive Week to ship the primary manufacturing Rodeo, a black instance sitting on white wheels and with the signature western-themed trim. The supply of the primary Rodeo within the US is becoming because the nation is rapidly changing into crucial for Ruf.

A brand new Ruf North America division was established solely in 2023, chargeable for all import and distribution of Ruf automobiles, in addition to gross sales, service, components, and monitor driving experiences. It’s positioned at Miami’s The Concours Membership, which has its personal racetrack and types a part of an airport – permitting prospects to land and be on the monitor inside minutes.

Sources: Ruf, Porsche