Where there's smoke, there's fire!
Rumor has it that Porsche wants to take over Ruf. When the smoke alarm goes off, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a full-blown fire, but the stove is still stoked. Because, in the context of another piece of Porsche news, it reads like this: “Goodbye to the electric Taycan, welcome to classic tuning.” Is that a good or bad sign? It depends, as lawyers would say.
If Ruf lacks a suitable successor, the news wouldn’t be bad, and the small, famous company would be saved. But Ruf fans would likely fear that this isn’t the best solution if a massive corporate behemoth were to take over a small family-run business. That says a lot. Better to have an engine than just a cog in the machine.
Another rumor is circulating: Porsche had already tried to acquire Singer in America—but the attempt failed. So now it’s the smaller, high-end tuning market with the good reputation. To generate a bit more revenue in the customization sector—especially when so many other things aren’t going well right now—see BMW and Alpina. Porsche needs some good news.
But let’s not kid ourselves—Ruf obviously can’t come close to the stature of a brand like Alpina. In that respect, the acquisition won’t double Porsche’s consolidated profit. So why all this? Is the custom order department in Zuffenhausen no longer able to keep up? Or is Porsche simply allowed to do things at Ruf that aren’t permitted at the main plant? Let’s see what these firecrackers are planning to set off.
