hesperus

there must be a number of Private Equity guys here on RL.

thoughts on this?

have a general impression that a PE fund would have pressures to do a quick flip and/or see quick return on the deal, which may not necessarily be consistent with the mindset of a boutique manufacturer of goods that nobody really needs. so i'm thinking culture clash + difference in strategic outlook between founder and buyer.

on the other hand...

they already own Lotus F1, and the press release mentions the Ruf V8. Ruf is a tiny company to be building an engine from scratch, so maybe the partnership makes sense from that angle. not to mention Alois' personal interest in alternative energy vehicles...

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...ruf-automobile

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2013/2/1...obile-7712980/

fc-racer

This is great news. Ruf is an engineering company with poor distribution. I hope the PE folks scale the brand and improve accessibility.

GuyR

Interesting news. I have a feeling that it will be Alois Ruf who is smiling most. He has been very canny with other firms and people that got involved (eg the whole Bahrain facility debacle was funded externally).

I love Ruf and spent a lot of money there (though less than many), but their business plan has always been unclear. The upgrade market is limited for them as there's simply too much competition now globally and most at better prices in US/Germany. Their own bespoke cars are wonders, but have always sold in very low volumes. I'm assuming the plan will be to drive a global brand for their new cars.

Special When Lit

Look at the buyer's personal garage first, and redefine "culture clash"

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/ger...ion-2012-06-19

TRAKCAR

I hope they open a proper dealership in South Florida.

hesperus

there you go!

well, let's hope it does bode well then...