2593cc V8
5 Speed Manual
Front Engined Rear Wheel Drive
Hydraulic Discs
227 bhp
ExteriorAlfa Red Interior Red and Black
The Alfa Romeo Montreal began as a concept car built for the 1967 Montreal Exposition.When shown there it was shown without a model name, leading to it being referred to as the Montreal car, at which point the name stuck. The first production car wasn’t built until 1970 but featured extensive changes from the original concept car, with the most significant being that it was fitted with a 2.6 liter dry sumped V8 fitted with SPICA fuel injection, based on the 2 liter V8 from the Tipo 33 Stradale, instead of the more pedestrian 4 cylinder Alfa Twin Cam of the show car. Suspension was more or less the same as Alfa’s 105 series cars like the GTV, with independent front suspension and a leaf sprung solid rear axle. The 2+2 body was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, who also designed the Lamborghini Miura around the same time with some similar characteristics. Although there appears to be a NACA duct on the hood, it is purely cosmetic and is used to help conceal the “power bulge” for the engine. When introduced, the car was revolutionary for Alfa, but without being able to get it certified for the US market due to emissions and safety concerns, and with its high price, few were produced and the car left production in 1977. After the Montreal, Alfa Romeo didn’t produce another V8 powered road car until the 8C was introduced in 200
I purchased this car off of Bring a Trailer in 2019 and have since had it fully repainted, fixing some rust in the sills, moved the antenna back to the rear fender from the roof, and reinstalled proper period correct mirrors instead of the oversized plastic“flag” mirrors that were fitted to the car when I bought it. The previous owner had the SPICA injection pump rebuilt professionally and when I bought the car we properly adjusted and synced it to get the car to run properly. I also opted to replace the Bilstein shock absorbers fitted to the car with Koni shocks, which I greatly prefer as the Bilsteins were far too stiff on rough roads. In driving, the Montreal doesn’t quite live up to its incredible appearance. The car is better described as a GT car than a sports car and, though it performs well, it doesn’t feel as sporty as the shape and V8 suggests in actual use. The engine has a fantastic sound and can produce a fair amount of power, but the power comes on higher in the RPM range than most larger V8s in other makes. The car is a bit wider and heavier than other contemporary Alfas, which lends to a less nimble feel from the car. At the same time it is still an excellent car and comparing it to the nearly perfect driving experience of an Alfa GTV may be a bit unfair. The car does have stunningly good looks, with unique features such as the louvered headlight covers which drop out of the way when the headlights are turned on, only to pop back when they go off again.
