RUF eyes the 'top of the pyramid' in China

Updated: 2012-01-13 10:26

By Nie Peng (chinadaily.com.cn)

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China's younger generation has gained knowledge of RUF cars through computer games and "the recognition is already there," Ruf said.

To them, sports cars have become more of a lifestyle, Estonia Ruf, vice-president of the company, said. With the western sports car culture spreading in the country, over time more and more Chinese will be interested in RUF cars, she said.

RUF eyes the 'top of the pyramid' in China

A CTR3 is presented at the 9th China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition. RUF is best known for its CTR cars. [Photo/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn] More information about CTR3

Another thing that can make a big difference is that RUF targets only high-end customers, who stay at "the top of the pyramid, the customers who really appreciate something special and high performance."

"The difficult situation is more for the big-volume manufacturers," Ruf said. "This is not our situation at all. We're a boutique manufacturer. Every car is a special piece of art. Therefore, we're not worried about economic recession or anything of that nature."

Luxury brands are competing to grab more market share in China. Last year, Volkswagen AG's super-luxury Bentley brand sold more cars in China than Britain for the first time in its 92-year history, according to a Bloomberg report on Jan 3.

However, Ruf does not "see a rival at all".

"We stay always in the very exclusive circle," he said.

Ruf added that his company will keep production small, at about 100 cars a year. It will also work to maintain its reputation as the number one performance upgrade company for Porsche cars, Ruf said.

Worldwide, RUF is holding training sessions for both beginners and advanced drivers. In a video handout recounting RUF's 72-year history, Ruf said, "My philosophy is car and driver must be like hand and glove. They have to be the perfect team."

The company will actively participate in motor shows and hold activities to raise awareness of the RUF brand and spread the sports car culture in China. The next big thing it is preparing for is the Beijing auto show in April.

Asked about the car models they plan to display in Beijing, Ruf said, "You just need to drop in."

Yuan Hui and Zhang Jinxuan contributed to this story.

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