One has been deeply rooted into the foundations of the automobile as a repair shop since 1939, only to later play a lasting role in high-performance Porsche-based customs since the 1980s. The other is a fresh-faced Californian outfit founded in 2009 which helped created an entire movement around bringing iconic classics back to the modern day. Both Singer Vehicle Design and Ruf have redefined what it means to reimagine a Porsche, and so choosing just one of their creations is a truly unenviable task. Both are incredibly rare, exclusive and packed with passion, but you can count on Gooding Christie's upcoming Pebble Beach sale on 15 August where two stunning examples will go under the hammer.
Singer: the Pursuit of the Perfect 911
Former rock singer turned automotive obsessive Rob Dickinson had a mission: to create the purest form of Porsche’s 911 that the world had ever seen. Starting Singer Vehicle Design way back in 2009, it’s hard to believe just how quickly the brand has developed, becoming a true pioneering force for the ‘restomod’ world, which is only growing from strength to strength as technology advances and the classics used as donor cars get older and more appealing. Dickinson’s vision was less of a car company and more of a cult of perfection. Their mantra, “Everything is important,” is no mere slogan, it’s a philosophy that guides every millimetre of their painstaking restorations. Singer made an immediate impact with the debut of its Classic services at Monterey Car Week in 2009, with each restoration since then representing a bespoke collaboration between Singer and its clients, tailored to realize a shared vision of the ultimate air-cooled 911 based off the 964-generation cars. After the original Design Study, in 2022 Singer took everything they had learned from the earlier cars and introduced its Classic Turbo services, designed to offer a balance between sport and luxury, bringing with it a refreshingly modern take on one of Porsche’s greatest classics, the 930 Turbo.
From the hand-shaped carbon fibre body panels to the jewel-like interiors swathed in bespoke leathers and weaves, a 911 reimagined by Singer is less about numbers and more about feel, but of course, when the car’s interior and exterior looks this good, it’s obvious the team weren’t going to leave the Turbo’s heart untouched. Clients could option either 450 or 503 horsepower motor, delivered through a bespoke air-to-water intercooled, twin-turbocharged flat-six, produced in collaboration with Mahle engineering. That glorious soundtrack is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, all of which is tuned for a razor-sharp throttle responses and gear changes that tingle with mechanical honesty. For those who grew up imagining the perfect analogue 911, Singer has made those dreams a living, fire-breathing reality.
The possibilities truly are endless when it comes to specifying a Singer, but this early example of the Classic Turbo was named the “Cielo Mio” commission, which was completed in 2024. The 964-generation “donor” chassis headed to Singer’s facility in late 2022 for a full restoration, before being reimagined to pay homage to the original Porsche 930 Turbo. Finished in a radiant Wolf Blue paint, the exterior colour is understated yet deeply striking, complemented by specially-coated carbon and satin black trim throughout. Step inside and you’ll discover rich Connolly Oxford Blue leather, woven with cord to provide a unique texture for both the seat centres and door panels. Deep blue velour carpeting matches the dark blue hue of the leather, while interior hard surfaces are finished in black wood, creating a truly unique experience for both driver and the lucky passenger. With an estimate of 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 dollars, it may be almost half the estimate of the Ruf below, but don’t think for one moment it’s the less capable of the pair!
Ruf’s Ultimate Anniversary Gift
It would take almost a decade of Alois Ruf Jnr’s hard work and passion to propel the Ruf name from a humble German repair shop to the Federal Motor Vehicle Transport Office officially recognising Ruf as a manufacturer, not a tuner, in 1981. This marked a pivotal moment for the name, and six years after his recognition, Ruf’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 in vibrant yellow and built around a heavily modified Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2, the CTR, or “Yellowbird” as it was quickly nicknamed, cemented Ruf’s status as a builder of elite, high-speed road cars with a relentless focus on mechanical engagement.
Fast forward 30 years, and the 2017 Geneva Motor Show would be the location for another of Ruf’s defining moments, where the company launched the CTR Anniversary, a car that celebrated a life-long joy of speed, refinement and luxury, all wrapped up in the perfect 911. We say 911, but 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 fibre monocoque chassis, reinforced by integrated steel roll structures and a tubular subframe at the rear. Performance wise, the car is a rocket ship, powered by a 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six engine developed in-house by Ruf and using a dry sump oiling system, water-cooled heads, and forged internal components. In simple terms, the CTR Anniversary produces an outrageous 710 horsepower and 649 lbs/ft of torque, making every drive one that sets the senses alight.
Much like the Singer, personalisation is where Ruf come into their own, with this one-of-50 example finished in one of Porsche’s greatest shades: Irish Green. This immediately recognisable colour, draped over a dark tan leather interior with classic Pepita seat inserts and matching inner door panels, is pretty much automotive perfection in our humble opinion, and even features foldable Kevlar-carbon fibre bucket seats, an integrated roll cage, as well as Ruf’s iconic forged, five-spoke, centre-lock alloy wheels that hide vibrant, yellow-painted brake callipers. Set to reach anywhere between 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 dollars, this truly is a unique opportunity to acquire a piece of performance car history, presented in one of the world’s best colour combinations!
Pebble Beach, 16 Aug
