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Location:
Gold Coast, QLD
Registered:
April 2004
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Fri, 28 January 2005 05:39
 
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I don't know how many they were planning on making (as many as possible I guess) but I suppose there would have been a break-even number they were aiming to build. The reason they shut down was indeed $$$, directly due to lack of sales. Their main problem was that had to market the car all on their own, they couldn't sell it thru any dealers or anything (since it was a hybrid of Alfa and Holden).
The guy behind the Giocattolo was Paul Halstead, who used to assemble DeTomaso Panteras in Australia using the locally built Ford Cleveland 351 V8. When Ford stopped making that engine arouund '83, he devised a new sports car to manufacture and sell in Australia based on the Alfa Sprint. The initial plan was to convert the car to mid engine/rear drive using Alfa's 3 litre V6, with a twin turbo version planned for later down the track and to sell them in Alfa dealerships. Alfa Romeo however wanted to charge $30,000 per engine (a huge amount in late 80's dollars) which was out of the question, since Halstead wanted the car to be relatively affordable.
The solution came in the form of the Holden V8, specifically the engine from the recent Walkinshaw VL Group A. Thus the car was born, but since it now had a Holden engine and not an Alfa one, selling them in Alfa dealerships was no longer possible. Neither was selling them in Holden dealerships either, due to the newly-formed HSV. So they were left to market it by themselves, sales never really took off and by July 1989 they were gone.
Sad story, but it's been the same one for pretty much every attempt to build an Australian sports car. But at least I got a ride in one! 
Matt
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| | Subject | Poster | Date |
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Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Nark | Mon, 24 January 2005 13:02 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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74gt | Mon, 24 January 2005 13:13 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Miss MR2 | Mon, 24 January 2005 21:44 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Nark | Mon, 24 January 2005 22:15 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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ae86trueno | Mon, 24 January 2005 22:51 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Nark | Mon, 24 January 2005 23:25 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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ta22gt | Wed, 26 January 2005 09:17 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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IRA11Y | Wed, 26 January 2005 10:14 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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sikx5 | Wed, 26 January 2005 13:49 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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matt86sx | Thu, 27 January 2005 22:15 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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74gt | Thu, 27 January 2005 07:02 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Nark | Thu, 27 January 2005 09:09 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Lucid | Thu, 27 January 2005 09:31 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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74gt | Thu, 27 January 2005 12:19 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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Lucid | Thu, 27 January 2005 12:49 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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torque | Thu, 27 January 2005 21:24 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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74gt | Fri, 28 January 2005 04:24 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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matt86sx | Fri, 28 January 2005 05:39 |
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Re: Photo from Targa Tasmania 2004
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74gt | Fri, 28 January 2005 11:15 |
