10th RUF CTR Yellow Bird Headed to Monterey Auction
Daily Slideshow: Who will go home with this beauty as their own?
Two are better than one
The RUF CTR Yellow Bird has to be one of the most wanted non-Porsche 911 models outside of the Singer offerings and one is headed to auction. This particular car, number 10 of the original 29 built, is headed to Monterey under the RM Sotheby banner. Originally, the car was meant for a RUF distributer in Switzerland but instead was sold to a German client who was further down on the list for the CTR but had grown impatient waiting. Upon delivery of the second CTR, he decided to keep both.
This was something special
Way back in the 1980s when there were just two years left in the 930 911 generation, RUF debuted the CTR using the Porsche chassis as a base. In 1987 at the time of the manufacturing, the Yellow Bird was the fastest production car in the world, being capable of reaching speeds over 211 mph. The CTR gained public fame from Road & Track magazine when they ran a test to determine the world's fastest car. The staff assembled a "whos-who" list of the best to duke it out at Volkwagen's Ehra-Lessien test track.
>>Join the conversation about the CTR Yellow Bird up for auction right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Seat impressions
The following is Peter Egan's thoughts on his time being in the CTR Yellow Bird that day: "I held onto the built-in roll cage as Paul Frere accelerated onto the track, and I was absolutely astounded by the acceleration (no easy feat after a day in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc.). At each gearshift the RUF went slightly sideways, only to straighten for an explosive burst of speed to the next gear, more like what I imagined a top-fuel dragster to be than a perfectly drivable road car. As Paul hit 5th gear, we blasted past the first timing clock at 311.9 km/h—still accelerating from a standing start!"
>>Join the conversation about the CTR Yellow Bird up for auction right here in the Rennlist Forum!
80's icons all around
It was that day that the brightly painted CTR earned the nickname of "Yellow Bird" by both RUF's staff and the journalists alike. In a grouping of cars that ranged in color from reds, blues, and silvers, the CTR stood out as the only yellow car. The CTR raced against the likes of the Testarossa, a 288 GTO, and a Porsche 959 and still managed to make a lasting impression on the journos that day.
>>Join the conversation about the CTR Yellow Bird up for auction right here in the Rennlist Forum!
A collector's item for sure
The car up for auction has never been damaged or restored and has just 32,436 miles on the odometer which RUF has confirmed as true. Thanks to not only the limited number made but also the originality of the CTR, the car is expected to sell in the ballpark of $1 million to $1.2 million. Look for the black Yellow Bird to cross the block on August 25th during Monterey Car Week.
Click here for the RM Sotheby auction page.
>>Join the conversation about the CTR Yellow Bird up for auction right here in the Rennlist Forum!
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