Put the ‘Ruf’ Down In This Gorgeous Turbo Cabriolet
Turbo Ruf cabriolet on Bring A Trailer looks like heaven. However, it’s stirring the pot in the comments as its history is called into question.
This beautiful 1981 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet undoubtedly has a touch of Ruf in its genes. However, whether or not it is actually a Ruf vehicle is up in the air. It’s a bit of a complex story, so we hope you’re ready for a rollercoaster of emotions. There is one thing you can’t argue, though, and that is that this car is a gorgeous piece of art!
Currently, this Ruf and/or not Ruf Turbo Cabriolet is listed for sale on Bring A Trailer. At the time of writing, it’s carrying a $99,930 bid. What’s all the hubbub, then? Clearly, it’s a modified Porsche with Ruf brandishing. It seems the controversy stems from the technical beginning of Ruf vehicles being, well, Ruf vehicles. What else would they be, you ask? Just a modified Porsche. We know it’s a complex situation. Let’s try to clarify here. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that a Ruf vehicle is not a Porsche, technically. They carry their own VINs and paperwork with Ruf stated as the manufacturer and not Porsche.
What is it?!
Bring A Trailer user Ingoknito sheds a little light on the history of Ruf that explains the first vehicle to truly be a Ruf car and not just a modified Porsche (thanks to having its unique VIN and reconstruction) was not until 1983, which would make this 1981 model year vehicle a Porsche. This is due to Ruf not having ret reached the status of a full-blown automotive manufacturer.
However, the owner and seller of this vehicle came back to dispute this claim with an official letter from Ruf signifying that this vehicle was built in 1984 with a 1981 chassis. Case closed, right?
Wrong.
Reverting back to Ingoknito’s comments and referencing the included German magazine Auto-Motor-Sport, you’ll find a discrepancy. This exact vehicle was included in an article in said magazine in November 1983. So, despite the letter from Ruf, it seems it having been constructed in 1984 is impossible.
We know this is a bit confusing. Additional information from the seller is a claim that the original owner of the vehicle is Alois Ruf, the founder of Ruf himself. The seller goes on to claim that the man himself told him that it was his personal car when they met. So, we suppose the only real way to know the full story would be to ask him.
At any rate. This is a very cool cabriolet-converted turbo 911. We can all appreciate that without knowing the semantics of its manufacture, right?
Here’s What We Do Know
Under that lovely rear decklid, you’ll find a turbocharged 3.3-liter air-cooled flat-six mated to a dogleg five-speed manual transaxle. It was completely removed and resealed in 2018. Additionally, the car comes with a host of service and maintenance records.
How many miles are on it? Who knows? We do know, though, that the odometer shows only 46,000 miles. So do with that information what you will.
Inside you’ll find a set of exuberantly colored red leather Recaro bucket seats that will undoubtedly make you want to listen to Loverboy. Additionally, though, you’ll find cockpit-controlled wastegate settings to adjust the amount of boost the turbo is pushing and an oh-so-eighties Alpine stereo head unit.
Though the history and construction of this vehicle remain a mystery, it certainly isn’t up in the air as to whether or not this is a valuable piece of Porsche history. We are curious to see what it sells for and even more curious to see if more information on it surfaces.
Photos: Bring A Trailer