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| Once
upon a time ... The story of André-Marie Ruf,
one of the most controversial figures in the history of model cars. Part 1 - 1946 to 1980 |
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 In
1996 we published the follwing narrative, written by 'Norman Bates',
a figure very close to the story. We can now
reveal that 'Norman' was in fact Antony Ruf and, following the passing
in August of his father, André-Marie Ruf, here is his story again.To those who hate the man and his work : please do not cancel your subscription;
there will be other - more brilliant - articles in future 4 Small Wheels dealing
with other manufacturers.To those among you who are interested in knowing more about one of the last craftsmen
producing white metal model cars : pull up a comfortable chair and enjoy this
article. Oh yes it was worthwile taking out a subscription !Once upon a time there was a man named Henri Ruf. He met Simone Coéroli
in 1942, they fell in love and what had to happen happened : she gave birth to
a son on February the 16th of 1946 they named André-Marie.This dribbling and wailing wimp started crash-testing Dinky Toys at an early age. Those were the days my friends when we were lighting the pyre of our sister's dolls with the empty boxes and when we were scientifically trying to find out from which stair we could drop a modelcar without damaging it, not to mention how it would look painted pink with green spots. While we were acting like hooligans some abnormal children were keeping their
toys complete, away from dust and moisture. And these 'speculators' are now able
to spend the rest of their lives in the West Indies drinking rum and having fun
with girls ! By the way, it may be worthwhile to merely show your children their
Nintensegado Play Stations at Christmas, and then, before they get their grubby
hands on them, lock them away (the children? - BH) for their own financial well-being.While I was digressing, André-Marie was receiving a technical education
which drove him to the quality department of Renault in the late '60s. This job
sharpened his passion for detail and allowed him to fill his young-married flat
with Norevs, Dinkys, Corgis and Spot Ons, instead of wasting his money buying
jewellery or household appliances for his wife.During one of his thoughtful walks pondering the Peter principle (according to which 'the more you are promoted the less you are competent') he came haphazardly to the window of his favourite model car shop. This is where he had a close encounter of the one forty-third kind. Falling to his knees he yelled: 'l've reached the Holy Land!' (He had just seen a John Day kit). Back home he started to customize Norev models. particularly
Renault '4 Chevaux'. Imagine the most horrible large wings, adding V8 engines,
dragster tyres, daubed with outrageous colours, sprinkled with some tasteless
accessories and you will have a sketchy idea of what they looked like. But against
the laws of nature
he sold some of those monstrous things!Already involved in a Dr. Frankenstein like existence, he joined a strange pagan
sect celebrating black masses to the gods of model cars during full moon nights.
The other members were Messieurs Le Prevost (Gaffe), Puillet (Mini Racing), Dahinden
(Epokit), Esparcieux (Esdo), Liatti (Nestor) and Jean-Marc Teissedre (Boutique
Auto Moto and writer of the Le Mans books). |
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This was the time when
a Grand Prix on TV was something more than watching a train of cigarette
packets on four wheels in the vain hope
you stay awake during two hours so you don't have to watch the 9 o'clock news
in order to see whether Hill or Schumacher won (at that time Olivier Panis was
only a child !).During those days the A.M.R. team was evident at model car shows through France
and Europe being rewarded and earning awards for their work. They spent their
time talking for hours about model cars with other worshippers, an occupation
which obviously makes you thirsty.And the congregation was increasing. This is why the team left its cellar to
move to Vélizy in 1977. François Laplace joined as a builder and
Mr and Mrs Crocquefere arrived to take care of engineering and administration.
There, the trio composed by Ruf, Bensignor and Viranet released so many model
cars (with the helpful Marie-Claude) that I won't quote any of them like the
Corvette Greenwood, Ferrari BB512 Le Mans multi (97) parts kit, F1, F2 and so
on. If I were to list them this crazy article would turn into a listing of the
whole production, from 1975 to today (1996) there have been at least 500 different
models.Instead I must talk about the Renault 5 Turbo. Why the hell ? I hear you cry,
Because this was the model car which allowed André-Marie to get even with
Renault.Put it this way : you are working for a major car builder because you love cars
but they do not appreciate your work and your boss is notoriously incompetent.
You are then forced to leave and dedicate your life to your passion. You start
being successlul with your work, the media are burning incense for you and the
company who used to scorn you asks you to make an exclusive model car to be delivered
to the purchasers of the real car. If it wasn't enough, the same year a car you
co-sponsor, wins Le Mans (Rondeau 1980). Wouldn't you be proud ?Well, this is what happened to André-Marie. Success and fame became a
drug and, as competitors such as resin kit makers were appearing, the only way
to continue providing himself with those feelings was to improve his work. He
then introduced photo-etching, created his own (now legendary) hand-spoked fine
wire wheels, created a window-box through which the contents of his kits could
be viewed and so on.Yet still bad tempered, he became so fanatical with quality and perfection (therefore
critically minded), that his impulsive reactions and his lack of diplomacy started
to make him at best, troubles with his mates, at worst, enemies.ln 1980 Francis Bensignor and Jean-Pierre Viranet went their own ways. But those
were the days when hand-built model cars weren't assembled by Chinese workers
paid with rice, and therefore RUF had an ever growing order book. So now André-Marie
invested in a brand new studio in Grisy-Suisnes and built close to it his family
home.But the gods of model cars took umbrage at the continuous expansion of A.M.R.
Their revenge was terrible as you will read in the next episode.... |
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| Following one of these insane nights, in defiance of two starving kids and a
tearful wife, he said something like 'F**k Off!' to his boss at Renault, found
a cellar, cleaned it up with some of his mates and then started working night
and day. Drinking coffee, smoking Gauloises, listening to strange music and surrounded
by books and drawings the hermit was working on his first model ...A couple of weeks later he appeared out of the dark cellar, clothes tattered
and torn, eyes screwed up at the shock of sudden daylight, he knelt to the ground
and stretching up his hands to the sky, clasping a Porsche 911 Turbo Martini
LM 1974, he cried 'A son is born'. Then he blacked out. This is how A.M.R. started
in a gloomy cellar. Where there is a will, there is a way.His wife Marie-Claude dried her tears and wild with love, gave up her safe and
well-paid teacher' s job to form with François Bensignor the first pit-crew.
Looking forward to the day they would be acknowledged as a top team, A.M.R. released
four more hand-built models during 1976 in order to be different from John Day
: Jaguar XJ12, Ferrari 365BB, Daimler Double Six and the famous Porsche 'Pink
Pig'.But then a stormy lightning-torn night Marie-Claude was forced to let out the
dangerous feelings she was hiding : 'Hey guys! Built models are fine for sure,
but we aren't being reimbursed for our investments!'. Possessed by the devil
of model cars André-Marie lit himself a cigarette and answered in his
best John Wayne : 'God damn it ! We'lI find a way!'. |
Thanks to his previous customising
experience and inspired by model car lovers who were transforming die
cast street model cars into race cars, in 1976 he launched the first
Transkit ever. On a Solido base it was allowing the build of the BMW
2002 Turbo Group 2 race car which had won at the Nurburgring in 1975.The Ruf pagan sect then was slowly becoming converted to the kit religion and
it released the Ferrari BB NART Sebring 1975. At this point André-Marie
decreed his own commandments: 1. You will not model a car you do not like. 2. You will not model a car for which you have no dimensions, pictures or drawings. 3. You will not release twelve cars a month because it makes money (money is the root of all evil). 4. You will not put plasticine on an existing model in order to make a new one. 5. You will not copy the models made by other craftsmen (too easy). 6. You will not work without passion: you will use your guts (and as often as possible expose them to the general public). 7. You will do your best to reach perfection and top quality (this is the tricky bit), A new apostle, in the form of Jean-Pierre Viranet arrived at AMR in late 1976,
modeling the X- Tenariv range in order to spread the holy laws among worshippers
of single seat race cars. |
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