Few Alfa Romeo Supercar projects were ever as audacious as this Australian oddball. Starting with a front-drive Alfa Sprint coupe, Paul Halstead built the Giocattolo Group B to hunt Porsches with Holden V8 muscle.
Alfa Romeo Supercar Roots Run Deep
Alfa flirted with Group B in 1982 with the Sprint 6C, a V6 rally prototype that never reached the starting line. Halstead, an IT entrepreneur and exotic car dealer, imported complete Sprints from New Zealand and sold off the parts he didn’t need. Alfa’s own Alfa Romeo heritage still inspires modern concepts like the Alfa Romeo Stradale 33 Visione, but Halstead actually built his dream.
The planned 2.5-liter Busso V6 deal collapsed, so Halstead went looking for an alternative. Australia had plenty of V8s, and he chose a 5.0-liter Holden unit based on the VL Commodore SS Group A SV Walkinshaw engine. Producing 295 horsepower and 369 lb-ft, it sent power to the rear wheels through a ZF five-speed manual with a dogleg first gear. The big iron V8 took the place of the rear seats entirely.
| ⚙️Engine / Powertrain | 5.0L Holden-derived V8 |
| 🐎Power Output | 295 HP |
| ⚡Peak Torque | 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) |
| ⏱️0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) | 13.2s quarter mile |
| 🚀Top Speed | (est.) 150 mph (241 km/h) |
| 🔄Drivetrain / Gearbox | 5-Speed ZF Manual / RWD |
| 💰Starting Price / Est. | $384,000 (AU$550,000) |
Lightweight Audacity Meets Financial Heartbreak
Engineers cut away a huge amount of metal and built a custom rear suspension to fit the powertrain. Composite panels kept the curb weight to 1,085 kg (2,392 lbs), which is remarkable for a car carrying a cast-iron V8 behind the seats. Halstead claimed a 13.2-second quarter mile, putting it in Porsche 911 Turbo territory. A light car is a fast car, and this one proves it.
Sadly, the money ran out quickly. Halstead later admitted he “lost a lot of bucks in the process,” and the project closed in 1989 after three prototypes and 12 production cars. Build #4, ordered in November 1988 in Rosso Chiaro with the AU$2,500 leather package, now sits with Chrome Temple. Its strakes and color-coded bodywork carry the same OTT energy as the Gemballa and Koenig tuners of the era.
A Supercar Price for a Survivor
Chrome Temple is asking AU$550,000 ($384,000) for this car. Its 38,000 miles of careful ownership and a full mechanical overhaul, including a rebuilt Holden V8, make it a rare survivor rather than a show-polished restoration. On paper, that is a supercar budget. In reality, it buys more than 20 stock Alfa Romeo Sprints, if you could actually find that many. This Alfa Romeo Supercar will only appreciate as Group B legend grows.</
Marcus Vance
Senior Track & Performance Editor at Auto News Magazine. Veteran automotive journalist specializing in chassis dynamics, apex telemetry, track-day specials, and high-revving mechanical purity.
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