There’s been no shortage of enigmatic cars over the years, but one of the most intriguing, enchanting, and left-field examples must be the Alfa Romeo Montreal. It looked like nothing else, packed a 2.6-litre V8 unique to the model, and it looked little changed from the Bertone concept that sired it. In the early 1970s, it really was what dreams were made of.
The Montreal story began in 1967, when Bertone displayed a pair of concept cars at Expo 67, the World’s Fair hosted in Montreal, Quebec, that year. The car was based on the platform of the Alfa Romeo 1600GT Junior and styled by ace designer Marcello Gandini. Alfa Romeo claimed that huge demand from buyers desperate to have their own Montreal resulted in a road-legal version of the concept being developed. In reality, it’s highly likely that Alfa expected to come up with a production car from the outset.
By early 1970, the road-ready Montreal was revealed at the Geneva Salon, and in place of the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine was a much more appealing detuned version of the Carlo Chiti-designed 2.0-litre quad-cam dry-sump V8, which was usually fitted to the T33 sports racer. The displacement was now 2593cc, and with Spica mechanical fuel injection it developed an easy 200bhp at 6000rpm.
This detuning was essential to the V8’s long-term health; by reducing the peak power point for the engine from 8800rpm to 6500rpm, and cutting maximum power in the process from as much as 350bhp to 200bhp, the V8 wasn’t remotely stressed in its new road-going application. Peak torque was also reduced, to 173lb ft at 4750rpm; the racer’s maximum came at a heady 7000rpm. Although 200bhp might not sound much now, it was enough to take the Montreal all the way to 135mph, having despatched the 0–60mph sprint along the way in 7.5 seconds. Heady stuff for 1970.
This is my personal Alfa Romeo Montreal, that i have bought about 10 years ago. It is completely body-off restored during a period of about five and a half years. Every last detail of this Montreal as been done, it is as they say, nut and bold. The Montreal is a original German delivered car and we have 2 large ordners of history with it. We have enjoyed very much, but now it is time to let somebody else enjoy this car.
P.s. The original wheels are also with the car.