The Alfa Romeo Montreal is arguably the most exotic of the post-war Alfa production cars, thanks to a detuned version of the quad-cam fuel-injected dry sump V8 used in the legendary T33 sports prototype racer. With 200 bhp from its 2,593 cc DOHC V-8 engine, Spica mechanical fuel injection, a five-speed ZF S5-18/3 gearbox, front independent suspension, a live rear axle with coil-spring suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and a chassis derived from the venerable 105-series cars, the Montreal was a sophisticated and striking car. In late 1966 Alfa Romeo was given the honor of creating a conceptual car to define man’s aspiration for the automobile at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition, held in Montreal, Canada, as part of Canada’s 100 anniversary celebrations. Alfa assigned coachwork duties to Bertone, and the project was spearheaded by Marcelo Gandini, the young designer who had leapt to the forefront of the automotive imagination with the Lamborghini Miura. Indeed, the Alfa Montreal can be viewed as a design and engineering cross between an Alfa GTV and a Lamborghini Miura SV, both of which were bodied by Bertone. Using the same cues that made the Miura so innovative, the new Alfa was wide and low with a shark-like nose extending through a curved fender and shoulder haunches into a truncated tail. The headlight “blinds” and stacked horizontal vents on the C-pillar were attractive, as well as futuristic in concept. Alfa debuted the Alfa Romeo Montreal as a production model at the 1970 Geneva Auto Salon. The 90° dry-sump V8 redlined at 7,000 rpm, taking the Montreal from 0 to 60mph in 7.1 seconds with a top speed of nearly 140. While the Montreal offers excellent performance and stunning Marcello Gandini good looks, it also features four seats and a trunk, making it a practical and usable exotic. Ironically, none were ever sold in Montreal because sales were limited to the European market. With a sticker price higher than a Jaguar XKE or Porsche 911, the striking design and exhilarating performance were not enough to tempt many buyers, with just 3,925 examples built by 1977. Regardless, the Montreal is a beautiful hand-built Italian sports car worthy of a place in any collection. It is estimated that as few as 100 examples have made their way to the US. Thanks to the substantial enthusiast support and the number of parts shared with more numerous Alfas, a Montreal can be kept in top form without breaking the bank.
Price: Auction
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Location: West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
