The RUF logo demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovative solutions, exclusivity, and individuality, making its cars unique. The emblem’s dynamic curves reflect a passion for speed, while the precise lines convey engineering excellence.
RUF: Brand overview
In 1939, Alois Ruf Sr. opened a modest auto repair business named “Auto Ruf” in Pfaffenhausen, Germany, marking the beginning of the company’s history. At first, the workshop specialized in maintaining and fixing several types of automobiles, but Alois was especially passionate about Porsches.
The business began focusing on Porsche vehicle maintenance and tuning in the 1960s. The founder’s son, Alois Ruf Jr., joined the family firm and started tinkering with upgrades to increase Porsche cars’ performance.
1974 was crucial for the business. With the introduction of their first full tuning package for the Porsche 911, the company greatly improved the car’s performance by adding a 3.3-liter engine and making several other changes.
In 1977, the German transport authorities granted the firm the title of a car manufacturer. This allowed the firm to build cars based on Porsche platforms with distinct VIN numbers and alter already-owned Porsches.
The storied CTR, popularly called the “Yellowbird,” was released in 1987. Based on the Porsche 911, this vehicle had a 469-horsepower engine and could go over 340 km/h. The CTR captivated car aficionados worldwide, which also redefined the parameters for sports vehicles.
Throughout the 1990s, the company kept expanding its model selection. Based on the Porsche 993, the business unveiled the BTR2, which has a distinctive appearance and remarkable performance.
The 2000s were a time of innovation for the manufacturer. The CTR3, the company’s first vehicle with a chassis exclusively created in-house, was launched in 2007. While still using some Porsche parts, the CTR3 was primarily an original design.
The Porsche 997-based eRUF, the company’s first electric sports vehicle, was unveiled in 2010. This showed the company’s dedication to innovation and ability to adjust to the ever-evolving automotive trends.
The CTR Anniversary was released in 2017 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first “Yellowbird.” With a carbon monocoque and a 710-horsepower engine, this automobile was an entirely original design, even if it bore similarities to the iconic Porsche 911.
In recent years, the company has continued creating and manufacturing vehicles, fusing cutting-edge engineering and modern technology with the iconic Porsche design. The business has made a name for itself as a full-fledged producer of distinctive sports vehicles, not merely a tuning factory. It has gained the admiration of collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.
Meaning and History
From the car workshop opened by Aloisom Ruf in 1939 to the present automobile brand, which his son already created, also Alois Ruf, it took 42 years. The brand’s history is closely connected with the names of two world-famous German car companies – Porsche and Volkswagen. RUF took the basis from Porsche to create its masterpieces, while the latter initially took most of the details from Volkswagen.
Two brand logos are known. The exact time the change of one visual mark to the other is unknown.
What is RUF?
It is a German sports car manufacturer and independent tuner specializing in modified Porsche cars. The company is known for its expertise in enhancing the performance, handling and styling of Porsche cars, creating some of the most powerful and exclusive cars in the world. Models such as the iconic CTR Yellowbird and the more recent RT12 and CTR3 are built on Porsche chassis and bodies, but feature extensive modifications including custom engines, transmissions, suspensions and aerodynamic components. These enhancements allow the company’s vehicles to achieve exceptional speeds, agility and driving dynamics, often surpassing the performance of the original models.
Old
First, the logo was verbal: AUTO RUF. The first word indicates the work with cars, and the second is the founder’s name, Alois Ruf.
The emblem did not immediately become a car logo. The word combination was originally the name of a car repair shop. The father of the Ruf family was engaged in business. Only in the ’60s did the first modification and improvement of Porsche models occur in the person in his car or the head of the house. Alois worked on it in the garage. And his son got a job at the Porsche service center, where he fell in love with these cars. It was Ruf Jr. who started producing cars in 1975. Then, the name AUTO RUF became the car’s logo.
The visual sign meant that the Ruf family made the cars. Capital letters showed that the company produced cars and cars with a capital letter. They drove fast, looked luxurious, and had features the original manufacturer did not provide (Porsche cars were taken as the basis). Using all capital letters in the word RUF showed that the young businessman was not just indicating the surname of his house but turning it into a brand. Officially, the appearance of the brand was registered in 1981.
The letters of the logo look voluminous. The shop provided various services, from repairs to polishing and refueling. Tuned cars offer the user more convenience, beauty, endurance, and speed. They always stood out and attracted attention. That’s why the letters of the logo rose above the surface.
Smooth lines demonstrated easy running, and neat serifs demonstrated professional reconstruction and build-up where appropriate and possible.
New
It is unknown when the word AUTO disappeared from the logo, and RUF received unique lettering. But now, the logo of this brand’s cars looks like three capital letters connected, forming a monolithic sign.
The name has undergone the same tuning as the Porsche models in the company’s workshops.
The letter R is the forming letter in this composition. It is the first and last name of the founder. Therefore, it is chosen as the leading one in the logo. Its knee, rounded, goes up and forms the main element of the letter F, which is also the right stick of the U.
These two letters, derived from the first one, can decipher U for Upgrade and F for Fantasy. The Ruf family has started improving cars by adding fantasy features.
This is how dream cars appear. That is why the entire design resembles a wing; the side elements of the letter F are feathers. The wing symbolizes fantasy and flight. All the brand’s cars are lifted above daily routine. These are elite cars of the premium class.
The wing embodies speed. RUF has mostly been redesigning sports cars that can fly on the roads.
Font and Colors
The logo’s main color is dark green. It shows experience and knowledge. After all, to improve a car, you need to understand all the mechanisms and principles of operation perfectly. Ruf Junior studied for 14 years before he tried to modernize cars. Still, the founder did not work on the project alone. He took on a team of 25 professionals.
Also, green is the color of velvet and emeralds, demonstrating comfort, prestige, and elite.
The logo font is unique because all the letters are transformed. It is based on Arial Black bold sans serif.