--- title: "This Ruf Yellowbird Is Extra Special, and Not Just Because It’s the Wrong Color" date: "2025-08-02" modified: "2025-08-02" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-ruf-yellowbird-is-extra-special-and-not-just-because-its-the-wrong-color" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "People" - "Porsche News" tags: - "911" - "Coupe" - "porsche" - "sports car" --- # This Ruf Yellowbird Is Extra Special, and Not Just Because It’s the Wrong Color ![The only Ruf Yellowbird in red.]() *Screenshot \RM Sotheby's\* The Ruf CTR, often known by its nickname "[Yellowbird]()," was a [Porsche]() 911 Carrera so heavily customized that it essentially became a new car. A few were made to the same spec, but only one was painted Bordeaux Red and personally driven by Alois Ruf Jr. That's the car we're looking at here, and it's for sale. This 1989 Ruf CTR1 Lightweight, unofficially dubbed "Redbird," is one of six extra-lean CTRs ever made. To earn the Lightweight designation, some steel body panels were swapped for aluminum; there's no center console, no roll cage, no power brakes, no sunroof, no radio, some chassis sound-deadening foam is gone, and the seats are extra-light ones. ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," engine.]() ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," interior.]() ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," front head-on.]() The twin-turbo flat-six bored to 3.4-liters, Ruf five-speed transmission, and chassis reinforcements are still present, though. These cars claimed 211 mph in 1987—a ridiculous speed for a vehicle this delicate in any era—letting it win Road & Track's "World's Fastest Car" shootout that year. But '89 was when the "Faszination on the Nürburgring" video was released, cementing Ruf's awesomeness in the minds of anybody who had the chance to see it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U26ddkVw2Q This particular car, the ninth CTR built (of 29 total, six of which were Lightweight models), was reportedly stored at Alois Ruf Jr.'s house and used as his personal car to some extent before being delivered to its first real owner. Mr. Ruf himself was, of course, the tuner whose obsession with tinkering on 911s got one of the most elite Porsche customization houses into the annals of history after [taking over Ruf ]()from his father (also named Alois). But even without the fun backstory, the spec on this thing is just incredible. The red-over-dark-brown has a real richness to it. I feel like I can smell the interior through some of these photos. I mean, the whole car is just delightful to look at. Sadly, for most of us, looking is all we'll be doing with it—R.M. Sotheby's is [auctioning it at Monterey]() this summer, but expects it to fetch between $4.5 and $5 million. ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," front quarter.]() ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," rear.]() ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," side view.]() ![1989 Ruf CTR1 "Redbird," emblem]() *Know about any other extra-special special Porsches? Drop me a line at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()