RUF Automobile GmbH began life in 1939 as a repair shop founded by Alois Ruf Sr. in the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhausen. The company expanded into vehicle conversion and bus construction before Alois Ruf Jr. took the helm in 1974. Under his leadership, RUF shifted its focus to high-performance Porsche-based vehicles, so thoroughly modified, in fact, that in 1981 the German government officially recognized RUF as a manufacturer, not a tuner.

The company’s defining moment came in 1987 with the launch of the CTR, short for “Group C Turbo RUF,” which stunned the world with a 211 mph top speed during Road & Track’s “World’s Fastest Cars” test. Painted a distinctive yellow and built around a heavily modified Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2, the CTR, soon nicknamed “Yellowbird,” cemented RUF’s status as a builder of elite, high-speed road cars with a relentless focus on mechanical engagement.

Three decades later, RUF celebrated that legacy with the CTR Anniversary, unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Speaking to Forbes in March 2017, Alois Ruf Jr. said “The concept for the 2017 CTR is one that I have had in my head for a very long time. We have been waiting for that right moment in our history to build our own car and the 30th anniversary of the CTR ‘Yellow Bird’ is that moment.”

Rather than updating a 911 shell as before, RUF designed and built the CTR Anniversary from scratch, securing the rights from Porsche to emulate the exterior design of a 1980s-era 911. It features the company’s first carbon fiber monocoque chassis, reinforced by integrated steel-roll structures and a tubular subframe at the rear. This construction offers exceptional stiffness while keeping dry weight to just 1,250 kg (2,756 pounds). Lightweight steel front and rear space frames and an integrated roll cage provide structural integrity and crash protection, drawing directly from race car design.

The CTR Anniversary’s suspension system is derived from motor sports design. Both front and rear feature double wishbones with pushrod-actuated coil-over dampers. The coil-overs are mounted inboard, longitudinally at the front and transversely at the rear, operating on a one-to-one ratio for precise damping response. This layout helps reduce unsprung mass and allows more compact packaging. The car rides on forged five-spoke wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, while braking is handled by carbon ceramic discs with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. ABS and stability control systems are integrated but can be adjusted or completely disabled by the driver.

At the heart of the car lies a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine developed in-house by RUF. Using a dry sump oiling system, water-cooled heads, and forged internal components, the powerplant produces 710 hp at 6,750 rpm and 649 lbs./ft. of torque between 2,750 and 4,500 rpm. The turbochargers are paired with electronically controlled wastegates and dual air-to-water intercoolers, mounted low in the chassis for optimal weight distribution. Boost delivery is progressive, minimizing lag while preserving throttle response. A custom-designed seven-speed manual transaxle with closely spaced ratios and a short final drive sends power to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. Dedicated cooling systems for the engine, gearbox, and brakes ensure thermal consistency under sustained high-load driving. Quoted performance figures were impressive: 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds, 0–124 mph in under 9 seconds, and a top speed of 224 mph.

As Top Gear noted in March 2020, “This is an analog supercar in a digital age. Ruf has engineered it to thrill the fingertips, not impress the touchscreen generation.” Inside, the CTR Anniversary featured a minimalist, driver-focused layout devoid of large screens or even an infotainment system. Carbon fiber bucket seats were paired with analog VDO-style gauges and a small-diameter three-spoke steering wheel. A revised dashboard and center console incorporated a bespoke HVAC panel with integrated electric air-conditioning, and streamlined controls for traction control, front-axle lift, hazard lights, and central locking.

In use, the CTR Anniversary delivered supercar performance wrapped in a familiar shape, something akin to a business suit rather than a flashy costume. Its power delivery was smooth and tractable, with strong low-end torque and linear boost. The suspension tuning struck a balance between firmness and compliance, while the relatively narrow tires for its power output contributed to progressive breakaway and communicative feedback. As Excellence magazine noted in April 2023, “The RUF CTR Anniversary is a testimony to Alois Ruf’s grasp of the art of supercar building that spans four decades and more.”

Initially limited to just 30 examples, quickly allocated following the announcement, RUF expanded production to 50 cars after consulting each of the early buyers. Every example was handbuilt at the company’s Pfaffenhausen facility.

Finished in Irish Green over a dark tan leather interior with classic Pepita seat inserts and matching inner door panels, this 2021 RUF CTR Anniversary was built to individual specification for its first and only owner. It features the interior package, foldable Kevlar-carbon fiber bucket seats, an integrated roll cage, and RUF’s forged, five-spoke, center-lock alloy wheels, paired with yellow-painted brake calipers. For added everyday usability, it was optioned with RUF’s hydraulic front-axle lift system. Additional equipment includes cruise control, Bluetooth phone integration, and power windows and mirrors. Fastidiously maintained in the consignor’s private collection since new, this RUF CTR remains in as-delivered condition, showing less than 500 miles at the time of cataloguing. In an effort to preserve original finishes, the car received paint protection film over the front bumper, hood, and side mirrors early in its life.

Accompanied by its original delivery accessories and recent service records, this ideally specified CTR Anniversary offers more than rarity and performance; it represents a bold counterpoint to the prevailing trends of autonomy and electrification. Handbuilt in Pfaffenhausen with a singular focus on driver engagement, it stands as a modern tribute to RUF’s defining ethos: that a car should not only be fast, but also involving.