The Ruger Sports Tourer is designed as a machine for travel which completely transcends the vagaries of fashion: it is a permanent possession, like a good shotgun, a fine saddle or a handmade fly rod.

- Ruger factory brochure, 1969 It is every enthusiast’s fantasy to someday build their own automobile.

William B.

Ruger Sr.

and Jr.

had the same dream, born of a love for performance and vintage “W.O.” Bentleys.

They combined both in their namesake Ruger automobile.

The result of approximately 800,000 in 1969 dollars of research and development was a pair of true manufacturer’s prototypes, purpose-built from the ground up in a special shop set up for production at the Sturm, Ruger factory in Southport, Connecticut, with the best talents and minds of the time consulted.

The exceptionally strong X-braced chassis was custom-built to support a specially supplied competition-specification 427-cubic-inch Ford V-8 and four-speed transmission, and wrapped with fiberglass coachwork covered...