1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal

Bertone was contracted by Alfa Romeo to design an innovative new sports car to be revealed to the world at the Expo 67 World's Fair in Montreal (the International and Universal Exposition). Its design was courtesy of Marcello Gandini, who created the Miura the previous year, endowing the Montreal with a sleek and flowing shape with innovative side gills and retractable slotted headlight shades. It was wide and low with a shark-inspired nose extending through a curved fender and shoulder haunches into a truncated tail.

Two identical prototypes were prepared for the exhibition and both were powered by inline four-cylinder engines. The unnamed prototypes received much acclaim and began to be colloquially referred to as the Alfa Romeo Montreal.

When the production model was introduced three years later at the 1970 Geneva Auto Salon, it was dubbed the Montreal. Its design was strikingly similar to the Expo 67 concept, but the Giulia's four-cylinder engine had been replaced by a high-revving quad-cam V8 based on the 2.0 liter Tipo 33 Stradale engine. This 90-degree dry-sump V8 redlined at 7,000 and could carry the Montreal from zero-to-sixty mph in 7.1 seconds, and a top speed of nearly 140 mph. Its four-seat arrangement, complete with a trunk, made it quite a practical and usable sports car.

The Montreal used the 105 series chassis and components as a basis, designed with ease of future production in mind. The 2,593cc V8 engine used aluminum alloy construction, dual overhead-cams actuation, and dry-sump lubrication. It produced over 200 horsepower and was backed by a ZF gearbox five-speed gearbox and modified 105 series rear axle. The front suspension was independent with the back employing a live axle with coil springs. Four-wheel disc brakes provided the stopping power for the 92.5-inch wheelbase vehicle. A wide variety of paint color schemes, not previously available for other Alfa Romeo models, were applied to the Montreal.

If the Montreal had an Achilles Heel, it would have been its sticker price, higher than a Porsche 911 and a Jaguar XKE. The convenience of its four seats, stunning good looks, and blistering performance were not enough to attract many buyers, and just 3,925 examples were produced by 1977.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2009