This particular Ruf CTR Yellowbird is the 26th of just 29 ever built, and it recently fetched over $6 million (£4.6 million) at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island auction. Why such a hefty price tag? Well, for starters, its odometer shows a mere 1,040 miles, likely making it the lowest-mileage CTR in existence. And then there’s the simple fact that it’s a Ruf—an undeniable icon in the automotive world.
This example has been preserved with the same level of care that Real Madrid devotes to the Santiago Bernabéu’s pitch. Its original owner stored it in a climate-controlled environment, while its second and most recent custodian ensured the engine was regularly brought up to operational temperature to maintain its condition.
Now, let’s talk about the car itself. Built on the foundation of the 911 Carrera 3.2, Ruf’s transformation began by replacing the factory steel doors, bonnet, and engine cover with lightweight aluminum panels, shaving off 180kg. New bumpers, aerodynamically optimized mirrors, and significantly widened rear wheel arches completed the aggressive yet functional redesign. But the real magic happens beneath all this nostalgic bodywork.
Powering the Yellowbird is a 3.4-liter air-cooled flat-six, equipped with twin turbochargers and a Bosch fuel injection system adapted from the legendary Porsche 962—you know, the triple Le Mans-winning race car. Ruf also engineered its own six-speed manual gearbox, as the stock car at the time only came with a four-speed.
Chassis #26 is further enhanced with the Leichtbau (lightweight) package, incorporating additional aluminum bodywork, a leather-wrapped roll cage, and Recaro bucket seats with racing harnesses. It does, however, still come with a radio for a touch of everyday usability.
The result of this meticulous engineering is staggering: 463bhp, 408lb-ft of torque, and a mere 1,134kg curb weight. The Yellowbird rockets from 0-62mph in under four seconds, but its most jaw-dropping figure is its 211mph top speed—earning it the title of the world’s fastest car at one point. It’s no slouch around the Nürburgring either.
Whether the new owner—the CTR’s third—will take it for a spin on the ‘Ring remains unknown. However, Ruf’s boss, Alois Ruf, is more than pleased with its legacy. “The cultural impact of the Yellowbird could not be overstated, and we are so proud of its lasting influence that struck in awe an entire generation of enthusiasts and reinvented the benchmark for a modern performance supercar,” he remarked. Hard to argue with that.
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