This Could Be The Costliest Mistake Of The Year | Carscoops
A rare 1980s CTR made its way back to San Francisco after a trip to Ruf in Germany for a new paint job.
A classic Ruf CTR, valued at approximately $5 million, fell off a car transporter in the United States.
The 213 mph “Yellowbird” was returning home after being painted by Ruf in Germany.
Ruf's twin-turbo 911, producing 463 bhp, was the fastest production car in the world when it was first released.
Driving a Ruf CTR Yellowbird at 213 mph (343 km/h) is always thrilling, but for one delivery driver, this excitement turned into a nightmare. He found himself trapped inside the nearly vertical 911 after the classic twin-turbo vehicle rolled off the rear of the trailer.
The incident reportedly took place in San Francisco while a rare 1980s CTR was being delivered after a brief return to Ruf's headquarters in Germany for some maintenance. The car managed to fall off the upper deck of the transporter, partially tumbling from a ramp raised around 8 feet (2.4 m) in the air.
Videos circulating on social media show the CTR in a precarious position, with only its rear bumper and exhaust touching the ground, while the ramp pressed against the car's floorpan, causing the front end to tilt upward.
“Sat with a friend when he received the news that his customer’s RUF Yellowbird had fallen off the trailer,” posted @johnclaywolfeshow, providing context to the incident. “The driver had just taken the car back to Germany (RUF) for a black paint job, managed to get it to SF, and then forgot to secure the tires, resulting in this situation.”
Ruf produced fewer than 30 CTRs based on G-series 911s, and their current value ranges from $4 to $6 million—one recently sold for $6.06 million. Alois Ruf's team started with a narrow-body Carrera shell for its superior aerodynamics and lighter weight compared to the wider 911 Turbo body, then installed a 463 hp (469 PS) 3.4-liter flat-six engine.
The CTR earned its "Yellowbird" nickname from the color of the press car that Road & Track magazine took to 211 mph (340 km/h) during a 1987 test, although not all models were yellow. The following year, German magazine Auto Motor und Sport achieved an even higher speed, recording 213 mph (343 km/h).
The images above depict a CTR that RM Sotheby’s auctioned for $1 million in 2018, but it remains unclear if this is the same vehicle.
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This Could Be The Costliest Mistake Of The Year | Carscoops
The rare CTR from the 1980s had recently come back to San Francisco after undergoing a fresh paint job at Ruf in Germany.