Porsche & RUF: How the Relationship Really Works

Timeline: From Porsche Specialist to Full Manufacturer

• 1939 – Alois Ruf Sr. founds Auto Ruf as a repair shop in Pfaffenhausen.

• 1960s – Alois Ruf Jr. starts servicing and restoring Porsches, especially the 911.

• 1975 – First “RUF-enhanced” Porsche 911 appears.

• 1977–1980s – RUF begins selling complete high-performance 911-based cars (Turbo 3.3, SCR, BTR).

• 1981 – The German Federal Motor Transport Authority officially recognizes RUF as an independent automobile manufacturer; from this point they can issue their own VINs.

• Mid-1980s onward – RUF buys Porsche bodies-in-white (bare shells) through dealers “just like anyone would buy parts,” then builds its own complete cars on top – no special factory partnership, just a parts-customer relationship. (PCA)

• 1987 – The CTR “Yellowbird,” based on a 911 Carrera 3.2, becomes the world’s fastest production car at ~339 km/h (211 mph) and makes RUF globally famous.

• 2007–present – RUF starts designing its own chassis and bodies (CTR3, CTR Anniversary, SCR 2018), still heavily inspired by Porsche but structurally their own cars.

So: Porsche and RUF are separate companies. Porsche supplies shells and components; RUF buys them like any other customer and builds its own low-volume sports cars on top.

What Happens When RUF Gets a Stock Porsche?

There are two very different scenarios:

1. Ground-Up RUF (Own VIN – “W09…”)

For true “factory RUFs”:

• RUF starts with a Porsche body-in-white or now even its own carbon-fibre chassis.

• The finished car receives a RUF VIN, starting with the world-manufacturer prefix W09, identifying RUF as the maker.

• Registration-wise, that car is a RUF, not a Porsche – even though it may look like a 911.

• Almost everything can be unique: bodywork, engine, gearbox, suspension, interior, electronics.

These are cars like the CTR Anniversary, SCR 2018, CTR3 Evo and GT.

2. Customer Conversions (Stays a Porsche)

RUF also does what enthusiasts think of as “classic tuning”:

• A client brings in a regular Porsche – often a 911, Boxster, Cayman or Cayenne.

• RUF installs engine upgrades, aero changes, suspension, wheels, interior work and sometimes complete packages such as the RUF GT for a 991.2 Carrera S.

• The car keeps its original Porsche VIN and title; it’s now a “Porsche 911 with RUF conversion,” not a stand-alone RUF. Enthusiast discussions and auction listings make this distinction clear.

So if RUF “acquires” a stock Porsche, it either:

• turns it into a true RUF with its own VIN (if it started as a body shell / RUF build), or

• leaves it legally a Porsche but dramatically more extreme.

What Does a Client Pay for a RUF Build?

Exact pricing varies with specification and exchange rates, but recent reporting gives a good ballpark:

• The modern RUF SCR 2018 (carbon monocoque, 510 hp NA flat-six) was announced at about €650,000 and roughly 15 cars per year, aimed at global buyers.

• The reborn CTR (2017), a 700-hp carbon-fibre homage to the Yellowbird, was quoted around $795,000 when launched, with ~30 cars planned.

• A complete RUF GT based on a 991.2 Carrera S was reported at about €240,000 for the finished car, with parts also sold à-la-carte for existing 911 owners.

• Earlier halo cars like the Rt 12 R were listed new around €279,000 and more recent used examples advertise close to $900k–$950k.

Put simply:

• Full, modern RUF builds (CTR, SCR, CTR3 Evo) live solidly in the high-six- to low-seven-figure range in USD.

• Conversion packages on a customer’s Porsche can be significantly less, but still typically six figures depending on how deep you go (engine, carbon bodywork, brakes, etc.).

For a serious, bespoke RUF project, a client should realistically expect to invest well into the six figures, plus the cost of the donor Porsche where applicable.

Do They Build for Private Clients or Just Sell Finished Cars?

RUF is essentially a coachbuilder/manufaktur: almost everything is built to order for private customers.

• Factory information and independent visits describe cars being specced individually and produced in tiny runs; the SCR, CTR Anniversary and others are sold directly to a very small pool of invited or ordering clients.

• Journalists touring Pfaffenhausen emphasize how customer-driven the operation is, with a mix of new builds and restoration/upgrades.

RUF does not mass-produce cars for dealer forecourts in the way Porsche does. Instead, think made-to-measure supercars plus a catalog of parts for enthusiasts who want RUF engineering on their existing Porsche.

How Many Cars Does RUF Build per Year?

RUF has always been a ultra-low-volume outfit:

• A historical profile notes around 25 complete cars per year, plus additional partial conversions.

• A later RT 12 feature similarly mentions 20–25 cars per year being modified or built, underscoring how small the operation remains even in the 2000s.

While exact current numbers aren’t publicly published, all recent coverage still describes RUF as producing only a few dozen cars annually, split between fully VIN’d RUFs and heavily modified Porsches.

Which Porsche Models Does RUF Work With?

Historically and today, RUF’s world revolves around Porsche platforms. Some key families they’ve enhanced:

• Classic 911s (air-cooled)

  • 930-based Turbo 3.3, BTR

  • 964-based RCT, BR2, CR2/CR4

  • 993-based BTR2, Turbo R, CTR2

• Water-cooled 911s

  • 996-based RGT, RTurbo

  • 997-based Rt 12 / Rt 12 S / Rt 12 R, R Kompressor, RGT 4.3/8

  • 991-based Rt 35, RUF GT

• Mid-engine & others

  • 986/987 Boxster and Cayman (3400S, 3600S, RK Spyder, RK Coupé, 3400K)

  • 955 Cayenne (Dakara)

• Full in-house chassis still “911-shaped”

  • CTR Anniversary

  • SCR 2018

RUF also sells performance parts (engines, suspension, wheels, aero, lighting) for current 911, Boxster and Cayman models, even when a full conversion isn’t ordered.

Summing It Up

• Relationship: RUF is an independent German manufacturer that buys Porsche shells and parts like any other customer. There’s no formal joint venture, but decades of technical familiarity with Porsche platforms.

• What happens to a Porsche at RUF:

  • Start from a body-in-white or RUF chassis → it becomes a RUF with a W09 VIN.

  • Bring in a complete Porsche → it stays a Porsche, but gains RUF hardware and often a very different character.

• Investment: Expect six-figure money for serious builds; flagship complete cars run €240k–€800k+, with market values now stretching into the millions for iconic CTRs.

• Clients: Almost entirely private, made-to-order builds, plus parts sales.

• Volume: Only 20–25 or so cars a year, making each one extremely rare.

• Models: Primarily 911s across generations, plus Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne derivatives, and now fully in-house CTR and SCR models that still pay visual homage to Porsche.