Song of the Yellowbird
On a clear, crisp day in 1989, the Nürburgring, affectionately (or infamously) nicknamed "The Green Hell" is rocked by a brilliant flash of yellow. Thirteen miles and 157 corners of the world's longest and most daunting race track are assaulted by a flurry of screaming tires and fluttering wastegates. Behind the wheel is a man whose appearance belies the sheer level of driving mastery on display. No helmet, no gloves, no fire retardant suit - just jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of loafers. His name is Stefan Roser, test driver for Ruf Automobile, and footage of this lap, titled "Faszination on the Nürburgring" would instantly become a landmark event in automotive history.
The Ruf CTR featured in this film, also known as the “Yellowbird,” is a rather neat parallel to Roser's humble appearance, presenting as a modified Porsche 911, but being so much more under the surface. Ruf is not simply a tuning or restoration company like TechArt, Gemballa, or Singer, but rather a full-fledged manufacturer. Originally founded in 1939 by Alois Ruf Sr. as a service garage, and later a bus manufacturer, it was his son, Alois Ruf Jr. who expanded the business into maintaining and restoring Porsches.
The first Porsche modified by Ruf debuted in 1975, a Porsche 930 which featured lightweight bumpers that resembled those of the Carrera RS, and a fully retrimmed interior. This concept would be further developed into the first car fully branded by Ruf, the Turbo 3.3. A larger engine offered 43 more horsepower, but the most critical component that set Ruf apart was its five-speed manual transmission. Porsche’s own 911 Turbo was only offered with a 4-speed, allowing the Ruf to make far better use of its immense power.
As Ruf continued to grow, their position as a manufacturer under German legislation allowed the company to dive further still into constructing cars under their own nameplate, sourcing blank, “body in white” shells from Porsche's parts department and building their own cars from the ground up. Ruf vehicles have their own distinct VINs, bearing no connection with the Porsches that inspired them. Today, Ruf continues to operate as a family-owned business, building all of their chassis’ and bodies in house, with the only connection to Porsche being their outward appearance.
Introduced in 1987, the CTR can certainly be credited for cementing Ruf into the collective car enthusiasts’ conscience. Based on a standard 911 Carrera platform, the CTR is fitted with fiberglass fenders, polyurethane bumpers, an integrated roll cage, and extensive suspension tuning in order to reign in its monstrous power upgrade. Its twin-turbocharged flat-six was officially rated at 469 bhp, though its performance numbers suggest a figure above 500 bhp. Acceleration to 60 mph only took 3.6 seconds, 100 mph arrived in 7.3 seconds, and its top speed was an absolutely blinding 211 mph. These numbers are well within pace of today’s latest and greatest exotics, so imagine how absurd the CTR was upon its debut.
The CTR's performance is impressive enough on its own, surpassing contemporaries like the the Ferrari F40 and even Porsche's own 959 in both performance and exclusivity. However, I would argue that the impact of "Faszination on the Nürburgring" transcends the CTR's raw numbers. Long before the age of social media and the proliferation of car focused media channels, Ruf perfectly captured that intangible "cool" factor that makes our favorite cars so uniquely special.
While this is not the very car piloted by Roser, it is one of 29 CTRs ever built and one of only 9 finished in that signature shade of Blutengelb, or “Blossom Yellow.” That car, the only one officially referred to as the “Yellowbird,” is still part of Alois Ruf Jr’s collection and can be distinguished by a pair of large NACA ducts in the rear fender. These ducts apparently affected high-speed stability as they diverted air away from the rear wing, making Roser’s legendary lap all the more impressive.
Looking back on the footage, Stefan Roser barely ever keeps the steering wheel straight for more than a second, even on the ‘Ring’s straightaways. There are no driver aids like stability control or active aero, just a man in perfect harmony with his machine, tackling the world’s most challenging racetrack as if it was a Sunday drive. It was not only a showcase of performance & skill, but one of confidence & irreverence, all captured by 80s filming equipment; a “viral video” before such a term ever came to be.
Can you put a price on "cool?" Someone at Amelia's Gooding & Co. auction certainly did. If it wasn't for that incredible film, do you think we'd still cherish the Yellowbird the same way? That's the million dollar question, or $6,000,000, as it were.
