While I was down at that car show last weekend, I saw many things I had not previously been aware of and this car is one of them.
Balocco is the name of the former Alfa Romeo
test track in Italy. It is now owned by the Agnelli Family and is used by the Fiat Group as their proving grounds.
Now just when this olelongrooffan was getting the hang of B, C, and D pillars, I spotted this one! Well I’ll leave it up to my fellow Hoons to determine how many pillars on this one.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty nice looking automobile but regardless of the opinion of our local Alfa guru, Rick Lovecchio, I’m going to pass on an early Alfa Romeo. Plus, the roof isn’t long enough.
As you can see in the above image, this Balocco S.E. possessed the 2.5 litre gtv6, a fairly strong, as I am told, engine that graced quite a few Alfas back in the day.
Alfa Romeo only produced 350 of this rebadged Alfetta in 1982. I am informed this badging was purely cosmetic and all of the production run made it to the USA.
I wasn’t able to get much of a shot of the interior but it was similar to nearly every similar era Alfa Romeo I saw that day.
And even though this is also a hatchback, this olelongroofan is calling it out for Hooniverse Fastback Friday.
Hooniverse Fastback Friday: 1982 Alfa Romeo Balocco S.E.
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Alfa poindexter here…
The GTV6 was pretty dominant in ETC and BTC in the early '80s. In those days, Alfa was prone to selling special editions that amounted to little more than cosmetic enhancements. The Balocco was one, as was the Maratona and the Niki Lauda Spider in '78.
If you want a rare Alfetta-based GTV (refers to the model, not the engine), try to find one of the handful Callaway twin turbo editions, which command a huge premium. There were also a small number of GTV8s, that displaced a mere tenth of a litre more than their 6 cylinder counterparts. In South Africa, on could also purchase one with a 3.0 six.-
Objectively I know what you say is true, but I still want this car, and definitely want it just a little bit more than a non-Balocco badged GTV6. Does this make me a shallow person? Maybe, but the clover leaf, man!
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Not at all, they are cool. I had to reign myself in when I found a silver GTV6 on the local Craigslist today for $1350. A runner, with resolvable and common problems. Rust perforations in the front fenderwells, though, and I'm too busy to pull an engine and fix it properly right now.
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My brother and I were in the market for a sportish summer drive a few months ago with only a few grand to play with– saw two GTV6 listings, and pined after them, but the possibility of actually keeping something running won out, and we ended up with a Datsun.
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I like the clover for good luck. You can never have too much good luck when rollin' an Alfa.
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Does calling it by its Italian name of 'quadrifoglio' negate any of its luck-inducing natural qualities?
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Window frames <> pillars. A roof pillar is a structural element; window frames are not. Just because a car has multiple vent windows doesn't mean it suddenly has D-, E-, and F-pillars.
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I'm sorry, but I have to defend the honor of Milano Verdes against those who would tear out her heart. This aggression will not stand.
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Outstanding Example! Stripes are now available for a complete restoration.
Here is a video to fling poo at the Balocco "nay-sayers",
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trFH_yWKc94-
I just acquired a balotto that had been sitting in a warehouse for 15 years being neglected. Has an interesting history though. Here is an article written about it in 1998.
http://www.alfagtv6.com/m-balocc.htm
Would be interested in knowing who is making stripes for it as mine are not in great shape.
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