The Car Spy

Remember the 80’s? Shoulder pads, footballer mullet hair-do’s, Don Johnson sleeves, Dallas, Wham, leggings and Yuppies of course.  If you liked cars, however, you might struggle to pick a favourite from the era of the ‘wedge look’ (Google TR7). Nonetheless the best hot hatch of all time, the Golf GTi (okay and the 205 GTi), was born back then along with the Ferrari F40. So some salvation at least from the acknowledged decade of excess.

Individualism was also high on the agenda in the car world of the 1980’s and the likes of TVR, Morgan, Marcos and Lotus enjoyed a level of editorial exposure that typically McLaren, Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari enjoy today. Different times indeed.

Of course car design is a very subjective thing. The traditional, conservative path tends to be trodden by the mainstream guys because, well, that’s the market they target in order to sell the most cars.

So how does individualist design stack up in the twenty teens? That can be answered in a heartbeat. In order to survive in the long term, no company can afford to be too adventurous because the numbers have to add up. Keep it safe, in other words.

The likes of Trevor Wilkinson and Colin Chapman would have a very big hill to climb these days so therefore all credit to the likes of Horacio Pagani and those designers that stretch our imaginations much further than our conformist world would prefer.

Uwe Gemballa was a car designer of his time and fortunately there are still a few of his sensational designs around 30-plus years later today. This 1986 Gemballa Avalanche is a superb example that is available to purchase right now.

Finished in Pearlescent White with a Black Leather interior this super-rare, left hand drive Gemballa Avalanche was first registered in the UK in April 2018 and was originally supplied brand new to a dealer in Puerto Rico, USA in 1986.

​The Porsche 930 Turbo may well have been one of the fastest and most highly regarded sports cars of the 1980’s but a market for specialist tuners emerged during that time with RUF and Gemballa quickly making a name for themselves. Gemballa was founded in 1981 by Uwe Gemballa, an engineer who started out creating bespoke interiors before developing a strong interest in aerodynamics and associated aftermarket products. Gemballa soon turned his attention to producing complete cars based on Porsche 930’s and quickly gained a reputation for outrageous designs combined with wild performance.

​The Avalanche debuted in 1985 with a price tag of 390,000 DM (nearly $700,000 in 1989) and quickly became the wheels of choice for some very high-profile celebrities such as the rap-musician Vanilla Ice who immortalised the car in the lyrics of one of his songs – “Of course a Vanilla rides the groove like a Gemballa Porsche”.

Each Avalanche was created by Gemballa with mostly bespoke body panels plus individual interiors filled with the latest technology for the time. Mechanical upgrades were completed by RUF with the cars being finished off by Gemballa to specific customer requirements. 

​Believed to be one of only 15 examples produced, this 1986 Avalanche was reputedly one of the last built and with RUF’s involvement with the project it is known that this Avalanche was fitted with a RUF engine producing around 375 bhp plus a RUF-developed 5-speed manual transmission.

This Avalanche presents itself in original and excellent condition with less than 14,000 miles since new and represents an exceedingly rare opportunity to own a significant piece of automotive history from the 1980’s.

​Believed to be one of only 15 Avalanches produced by Gemballa
RUF dual-exhaust system
RUF 375 BHP engine conversion
RUF 5-speed ‘dog-leg’ manual transmission
Chrome-finish 17″ HRE Performance split-rim Alloy Wheels
Michelin Pilot SX Tyres – Front 225/40 ZR18, Rear 285/35 ZR18
Chrome Strut Brace
White Dials
Sports Seats
Electric Sunroof
Electric Windows
Pop-up Headlamps
Air Conditioning
Alpine Tuner/Single CD Head Unit
Alpine MRD-F752 V12 Class-T Digital Amplifier
Cobra Alarm System

A true 1980’s pin-up combining outstanding looks with ballistic performance this RUF-powered Gemballa would make a solid investment and a unique addition for both the most discerning and enlightened of collectors.

​This car is now SOLD!

​Please note that this car is UK-registered with supporting paperwork and is being curated by ourselves at our facility in West Sussex on behalf of the current owner. Viewings can be arranged by appointment.

​For further details of this very rare RUF-powered Gemballa Avalanche please email us at info@rufautomobile.co.uk or telephone 01892 506911.