While RUF Automobile GmbH was known for its meticulous Porsche performance tuning, the firm entered an entirely new realm in 1981 when the German government granted the company status as a manufacturer, allowing it to assign unique VIN numbers to the cars they built in-house. The first model to bear a RUF VIN was the turbocharged BTR – the letters a shorthand for Gruppe B Turbo RUF. Hand built beginning in 1983, the BTR was based on Porsche’s 930 but delivered an impressive 374 bhp and featured other major performance improvements. Rare even when new, only about 20 to 30 BTRs were built in-house by RUF and assigned RUF’s now famous W09 prefix.
This very rare W09 Slantnose BTR was built at the RUF factory in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, and originally distributed by RUF Automobiles International in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, finished in Tornado Red over a black interior. According to RUF correspondence on file, it was equipped from new with a RUF-built five-speed transaxle with short shifter, air-conditioning, sunroof, RUF 4-pipe exhaust system, strut brace, boost controller, intercooler, Recaro seats, and RUF instruments. This BTR has remained in the US since delivery, and it presents in fantastic condition today, including its well-preserved interior. Sparingly used, it showed just over 22,000 miles when catalogued. As the first model to feature a RUF VIN, the BTR is one of the most significant models in the history of the company. As a US-delivery Slantnose, this example is extremely rare, and its lovely condition and early documentation make it a true blue-chip modern collectible.