1974 Alfa Romeo Montreal

ALFA (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) was founded in 1910 in Italy. After Nicola Romeo took control in 1915, his name was added. The company quickly established a reputation for performance, with Alfas racing as far back as the 1911 Targa Florio.

In late 1966, Alfa Romeo was selected to create a conceptual exhibit of man's aspiration for the automobile at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition, held in Montreal. Coachwork duties were assigned to Bertone, and the project was spearheaded by Marcello Gandini, the young designer who was catapulted to the forefront of the automotive imagination with the Lamborghini Miura. Design cues included shrouded twin headlamps, NACA duct, and lateral rear slots. The interior accommodated enough space for two small rear seats and was very well specified, resulting in a very comfortable and practical grand touring coupe.

The Alfa Romeo vehicles arrived without any model name, and after the adoring public called it the Montreal, the name stuck. Receiving a swell of positive feedback, Alfa decided to put the well-received prototype into production. The production version was ready by 1971 and was one of the very few shows that were subsequently built and then sold to the public. Although little had changed from concept to production, the standard four-cylinder engine with 110 horsepower was replaced by a version of their racing V-8 engine that now delivered 230 horsepower. The Montreal had been transformed into a high-performance Italian sports car.

The Tipo 105.64 production version was displayed at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. Its 2,593cc, aluminum alloy, 90-degree, dry-sump lubricated, cross-plane V-8 engine had a stroke of 64.5mm and a bore of 80mm. It used SPICA (Società Pompe Iniezione Cassani & Affini) fuel injection to help deliver approximately 197 horsepower and was equipped with a five-speed ZF manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. It was derived from the 2-liter V8 used in the 33 Stradale and in the Tipo 33 sports prototype racer.

Alfa Romeo endowed the Montreal with the chassis and running gear of the Giulia GTV coupe, with a live rear axle with a limited-slip differential, and a front suspension comprised of double wishbones, coil springs, and dampers.

The aerodynamic body gave the Montreal a top speed of nearly 140 mph.

Sale of the Montreal lasted from 1970 through 1977 with approximately 3,925 examples built. Alfa Romeo officially stopped offering the Montreal in 1977, but by that point, production had long ceased and the company struggled to sell their remaining stock. The production was handled at the Alfa Romeo plant in Arese and Carrozzeria Bertone's plants in Caselle and Grugliasco outside Turin. The chassis, engine, and mechanicals were produced by Alfa Romeo, with the chassis sent to Caselle where Bertone fitted the body. After the body was fitted, it was sent to Grugliasco to be degreased, partly zinc coated, manually spray painted and the interior fitted. The car then returned to Arese to have the engine and mechanicals installed.

Since the Montreal did not comply with emission control requirements, the Montreal was not sold in the United States or Canada.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2021