RE: Mid-engined Alfetta Sprint from Oz?

[Alex Jenner <alexj@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I remember this in the Aussie motoring press - either WHEELS
magazine or MODERN MOTOR. Has anyone got one of those old mags?
Has anyone on this list got one of the cars?

> Subject: RE: Mid-engined Alfetta Sprint from Oz?
> 
> The car was called a 'Giocattolo' (sp?), was an Alfasud Sprint (kind of a
> stretched alfasud - looked halfway between a 'sud and a gtv) with a

Acually the Sud Sprint had the same floor pan and wheelbase etc as
the Sud, but I guess they look kind of stretched compared to the 
Sud, but then what doesn't ;-)

For those who have not seen a Sud or Sud Sprint -
http://www.asaf.co.il/alfa/sud_gallery.html
http://www.home.gil.com.au/~colinp/sudphotos.htm

> mid-mounted 5.0 litre V8 (from a fairly common local vehicle)  the body was
> re-worked in fibreglass.

I think most of the original metal body parts were left intact and the 
front end was mainly Sud. Major rear end changes however.

The prototype had a 2.5 GTV6 motor and at least one magazine got
to test it in this form. It seems it drove quite well, although the 
chassis could handle more power. However the builders could not arrange 
a deal to secure a supply of GTV6 motors, so they turned to the V8.
So the car got more power but some of the purity of the design 
was lost.

> you still see them for sale (secondhand) every now and then - im not sure
> how many were built, but definately less than 100, and possibly as few as
> 10. (any other aussies confirm this?)
> 
> they were pretty quick, as you would expect from a small car with a big
> engine, but pretty expensive for what was essentially a high quality kit
> car.

It would make an interesting project to rebuild one with maybe a
3L V6 motor. Should be quicker that just about anything Alfa has built
in recent years.

Lex Jenner -- alexj@domain.elided

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