Correction (August 15, 2026): This article previously reported claims of a potential Porsche acquisition of RUF Automobile. RUF has stated that these reports are false and that RUF remains independently family-owned, with no plans for a sale to Porsche. We’ve removed the disputed claims below. RUF provided the following statement from Alois Ruf:
“We would like to address recent rumors regarding a potential sale of RUF Automobile. To be absolutely clear: RUF is not for sale, and reports suggesting otherwise are false. RUF Automobile remains proudly family-owned and operated, as it has throughout its history. Our independence is fundamental to who we are as a company and has allowed us to pursue our own vision of engineering, performance and craftsmanship for generations. We have great respect for Porsche and share a long history within the automotive world, but there are no plans for Porsche to acquire RUF. Our focus remains exactly where it has always been: independently developing and building exceptional RUF automobiles for our customers and enthusiasts around the world. We appreciate the tremendous interest in RUF and look forward to continuing our story as an independent automobile manufacturer.” — Alois Ruf
The claim originated with a report from Germany’s WirtschaftsWoche, which said Porsche executives and RUF owner Alois Ruf had discussed folding the small manufacturer into Stuttgart’s lineup as a low-volume sub-brand, with a deal described as close. Several outlets, including this one, picked up that report. RUF has since confirmed the deal does not exist and that the company remains independently owned and run by the Ruf family, as it has been since 1939.
Why RUF Isn’t a Tuner With a Fancy Badge
This is the detail that gets lost every time this rumor resurfaces: RUF Automobile is not a tuning shop that leases Porsche’s blessing. Founded by Alois Ruf Sr. in 1939 and still run out of Pfaffenhausen, Bavaria, RUF holds its own government-recognized manufacturer status in Germany, meaning every car that leaves its factory carries its own vehicle identification number rather than a modified Porsche VIN. That distinction is not paperwork trivia. It’s the reason RUF can build a car like the CTR Anniversary around a carbon-fiber monocoque tub designed and produced entirely in-house, rather than starting with a donor chassis.
The current lineup, according to RUF’s own product pages, includes the SCR, a 510-horsepower coupe weighing roughly 2,760 pounds that RUF says will reach close to 199 mph, alongside the CTR3 Evo and the newly introduced Ehra grand tourer. None of that is possible for a company that simply reworks somebody else’s finished car.
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