► An original RUF CTR Yellowbird sold for £4.7m
► Confirms this 211mph machine as supercar elite
► Ultimate Leichtbau spec, correct yellow paint
This exceptionally yellow Porsche 911 sold for $6,055,000 at the 2025 Amelia Island Auctions. That’s very nearly £4.7 million at current exchange rates, and quite a bit of cash for a car built in 1989, even if it does have just two previous owners who only managed to put the equivalent of around 1040 miles on the clock. But then, it’s none other than an original RUF CTR, the car that helped cement both RUF and the Nürburgring’s reputations among the sacramental totems of petrolheads everywhere.
One of just 29 ever constructed – of which only nine were finished in the proper Blutengelb paint that led a Road & Track photographer to coin the nickname ‘Yellowbird’ during a now legendary ‘world’s fastest cars’ shootout, which the RUF CTR won – this is quite possibly the most pristine and original example of one of the most revered and rare supercars of its day.
Never heard of it? Then let us blow your mind. Not least by referring you to the Faszination on the Nürburgring video that forms a major part of the Yellowbird myth. Helpfully, the Canadian importer has put the whole thing on YouTube and you’ll find it at the bottom of this page.
What is a RUF CTR Yellowbird?
Like a few tuners of note, RUF Automobile GmbH has independent manufacturer status. So although the CTR is quite obviously based on a Porsche, so much about the car is different that it is no longer badged as one. And as we found out during our visit to RUF, this company doesn’t do things by halves.
CTR stands for ‘Group C Turbo RUF’ and when the model was first unveiled in 1987 it put RUF in a league few others were competing in, even at the traditional supercar manufacturer level. An ultimate vision of 911-based performance for the time.
Powered by a redeveloped 3.4-litre air-cooled flat-six, the CTR was – it’s said conservatively – rated at 463bhp and 408lb ft when new, helped by twin KKK turbos, twin intercoolers and what auctioneers Gooding & Company describe as ‘an early version of Bosch Motronic fuel injection that had originally been developed for Porsche’s 962’. Which possibly explains the Group C reference.
Built with fresh components, each engine was numbered and individually dynoed before being installed in a brand-new narrow-body shell. This was chosen for its reduced frontal area compared with the widebody Porsche used for its 930 Turbo models – though RUF added its own wider rear arches to accommodate 17-inch alloys, complete with the iconic NACA ducts.
New composite bumpers were accompanied by lightweight aluminium doors, bonnet and engine cover – all RUF’s own. The roof gutters were also removed for a smoother look, and RUF fitted ‘aerodynamically effective’ door mirrors as well as an external oil filler door. This was an idea borrowed from the 1972 model-year 911, but is often seen on backdated specials now, including those ‘reimagined’ by Singer.
As standard, the CTR was around 180kg lighter than the car it was loosely based on. Further refinements included new suspension, Brembo brakes, and a five-speed transaxle gearbox as standard. At a time when Porsche was still using a four-speed unit first introduced in the 1970s.
What’s special about this particular car?
Aside from the low mileage and the unimpeachable provenance – which is backed up a RUF Zertifikat of authenticity, a note of endorsement from Alois and Estonia RUF that begins the auction listing, and the original invoice, paperwork, tools and accessories – this car is not only finished in the proper ‘Blossom Yellow’ paint, it’s also in the full RUF CTR Leichtbau specification.
Leichtbau directly translates to ‘built from lightweight materials’ – in this case meaning that it also has aluminium front wings and Recaro clubsport bucket seats with racing harnesses. And while some owners went for air-conditioning and multi-adjustable comfort, this car got a leather-wrapped Matter aluminium rollcage and a fire extinguisher. The whole car weighs around 1150kg.
Aside from the original Blaupunkt stereo – the one concession to creature comfort here – the other notable feature on the inside is the gearlever. Because it’s attached to RUF’s optional six-speed gearbox, adding yet another cog over the number Porsche would have given you.
The condition is said to be ‘time capsule’, and although it’s hardly been driven, we’re told fluids have been regularly refreshed and the engine run up to temperature – so any recommissioning needed should be modest. Although who are we kidding? Whoever bought this is presumably going to keep it as a piece of art rather than use it in anger.
Why is the RUF CTR Yellowbird so legendary?
As winner of Road & Track’s famous world’s fastest car shootout in 1987, a RUF CTR hit 211mph at the Volkswagen Ehra-Lessien test track – beating competition from Ferrari, Lamborghini and AMG. The team involved, which included former F1 world champion, Phil Hill, were all full of praise for the quality of RUF’s work as well.
Other period road-test stats include 0-60mph in 3.65sec, 0-100mph in around 7sec, a quarter mile in 11.7sec and a standing mile in 27.7sec – with a terminal speed of 189mph. Remember: this was in 1987.
But the main reason the Yellowbird will resonate with so many car enthusiasts is the 1989 RUF promotional video, Faszination auf dem Nürburgring. To borrow a phrase from a colleague, discovering and watching this gnarly 20-minute film is like a rite of passage for petrolheads, as after a bit of bumf at the beginning it’s all about test driver Stefan Roser going flat out and sideways around the world’s most iconic toll road.
Thanks to RUF’s Canadian importer, you can watch the whole thing below. And should you have the means, the Gooding & Company auction for this extraordinary low mileage Yellowbird takes place 6-7 March 2025 during this year’s Amelia Island Concours Week.
RUF makes a modern CTR even now, which you can read about in our RUF CTR review.
Is this be the most expensive Porsche ever sold at auction?
Despite meeting its ‘in excess of $6,000,000’ estimate, the RUF is not even close to being the most expensive Porsche sold at auction. A 1970 917k currently holds that honour, as we understand it, fetching over $14 million (£11m) at a previous Gooding and Company sale.
But we believe that it has become the most expensive 911 variant ever sold, beating the $5.65m (£4.4m) a GT1 Straßenversion fetched at Amelia Island in 2017. The most expensive new 911 ever sold was the Sally Carrera auctioned for charity in 2022, which went for $3.6m (£2.9m).