Giocattolo

[TDW911]

I knew a guy that  that bought one new - Formula Blue in colour. Number 3 from memory. He was mates with my boss where I did my apprenticeship. Bob Triggs was his name from Wynnum. I think he died a short while ago and it was sold. I remember he crashed it coming back from the drags at Willowbank one night at a pretty fast rate. A car pulled out onto his lane and he went into the nature strip/divider and cleaned up a few small trees. It was repaired by John Dawson. Panels/spoilers were accessible as he was in partnership with a group of owners who bought the original moulds when the company went bust. Not sure where the moulds are now though. I remember that the shells were all second hand as Alfa would not sell them new ones. Some came from NZ from memory. Awesome cars with great history. 

[Coastr]

Toy33 found it’s way back to Caloundra 

https://petrolicious.com/articles/meet-the-giocattolo-group-b-australias-unsung-supercar-hero

 

[TDW911]

Thanks for posting Coastr, great article. Glad to see it is much loved and still ind QLD.

[st3ve]

Late to the party on this thread but wow.  Awesome.  I remember those well, happening around the time of my impressionable late teens.  What an absolutely historic and brilliant toy - literally so well named!

@OBRUT if I may ask, how on earth did you come to purchase it?  It's not like you'd be just casually scrolling the Giocattolo section of carsales.   This is presumably a grapevine type of thing?

[OBRUT]

2 hours ago, st3ve said:

Late to the party on this thread but wow.  Awesome.  I remember those well, happening around the time of my impressionable late teens.  What an absolutely historic and brilliant toy - literally so well named!

@OBRUT if I may ask, how on earth did you come to purchase it?  It's not like you'd be just casually scrolling the Giocattolo section of carsales.   This is presumably a grapevine type of thing?

You are about the 20th person to ask that!

I was chatting to a mate in Victoria a couple of months back about slant nose Porsches and 80’s era cars etc and somehow these came up in conversation. I mentioned I had always been fascinated by them - they  were in all the magazines about the time I got into cars and always reviewed very highly. He then mentioned his mate had one!  I told him that if his mate ever wanted to move it on I’d love to have a look. About a month later I get a call saying it could be available. I went down and test drove it (loved how it drove) did a deal and drove it back to Sydney a week or so later. 

I haven’t seen one publicly available for at least a decade. There are 14 left between 11 owners.  

[st3ve]

Thanks, great story!  It's funny because initially I literally wrote 'mate of a mate' rather than 'grapevine' above!   Enjoy the car, I hope to see it some time.

[OBRUT]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdfCa7Xp2Hs/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
 

[st3ve]

Did they get their own VIN starting with 6 or did they somehow carry over the Alfa one?  The regulatory side of it was most likely the biggest nightmare for a small manufacturer even back then I guess.

In light of the tragic demise of the Judge car and driver, what is the Gio subculture's feeling on fuel safety?  I initially presumed the fuel tank was in the front, but it appears to be midships reasonably far from frontal impact.  The Judge car was heavily modified, perhaps that contributed to the fire?  I'd have thought with an F1 engineer involved in the project fuel safety would be pretty well worked out, but I guess it was still the 80's after all.  Only a couple of years after Toivonen's accident that ended Group B.  Presumably these days there are bladder systems or whatever it is that make such a fire extremely unlikely?

Or do you just try really really hard not to crash?  😲

[OBRUT]

1 hour ago, st3ve said:

Did they get their own VIN starting with 6 or did they somehow carry over the Alfa one?  The regulatory side of it was most likely the biggest nightmare for a small manufacturer even back then I guess.

In light of the tragic demise of the Judge car and driver, what is the Gio subculture's feeling on fuel safety?  I initially presumed the fuel tank was in the front, but it appears to be midships reasonably far from frontal impact.  The Judge car was heavily modified, perhaps that contributed to the fire?  I'd have thought with an F1 engineer involved in the project fuel safety would be pretty well worked out, but I guess it was still the 80's after all.  Only a couple of years after Toivonen's accident that ended Group B.  Presumably these days there are bladder systems or whatever it is that make such a fire extremely unlikely?

Or do you just try really really hard not to crash?  😲

They have their own VIN and a Giocattolo Motori P/L compliance plate etc. They had full manufacturers status. 

Fuel tanks in the middle and some very impressive engineering for the rear subframe, shock mounts etc. 

The judge car was circa 1000hp and hit the wall at very high speed - I doubt many sport cars of that era would have fared much differently. 

[jamesb]

This is awesome. Never knew it existed. My first car was an Alfa sprint. Loved that car. 

Can't even imagine what it must feel like with 3 times the power. 

The creator is stepping it up this time. Wonder if it will happen. 2 LS v8's into a W16, Cool

https://www.drive.com.au/news/giocattolo-marcella-an-australian-hyperod/

 

[OBRUT]

Brightening up a dull day. 

So good to drive. 

[Dalai]

9 hours ago, OBRUT said:

Brightening up a dull day. 

So good to drive. 

 

Stunning! I'm guessing most people who see it in person don't realize they are in the midst of motoring royalty thinking it's just another Alfa...

[OBRUT]

Recently back from Motor Classica.  The blue Giocattolo shown above TOY33 won Peoples Choice!  Amazing how many people remember them, and fondly. 

[micknine01]

Here you go @OBRUT, I am currently in perth and spotted this at the motor museum 😍 

 

[OBRUT]

2 hours ago, 901er said:

Here you go @OBRUT, I am currently in perth and spotted this at the motor museum 😍 

 

Nice!  I ran mine on a private road/track recently. I continue to be impressed by it. 

[DJM]

39 minutes ago, OBRUT said:

Nice!  I ran mine on a private road/track recently. I continue to be impressed by it. 

Poster car from my teens.  If you don’t mind me asking, what are they worth these days on the rare occasion they pop

up?  Spectacular.

[OBRUT]

1 hour ago, DJM said:

Poster car from my teens.  If you don’t mind me asking, what are they worth these days on the rare occasion they pop

up?  Spectacular.

Ditto, I got interested in cars in the late 80’s and they were in all the magazines - and getting glowing reviews.  Heard about one potentially hitting the market as an aside during a chat with a mate about 80’s era cars.  Super impressed by it. Have since met Paul Halstead and Barry Lock too - fascinating folk. 

The hard part is finding one - 14 left between only 11 owners. 3 or 4 modified so not leaving many unmolested ones.  At a guess +/- $400k for a good one. 

It’s a bizarre car to take to car events - people come out of the woodwork to check it out, ask questions, tell stories, make offers etc.