1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal

From the late 1960s until the mid-1970s, Alfa Romeo revived its interest in road racing. Notable success was achieved across the range of Giulia racing cars: the Giulia GTA and GTAm touring cars and the Giulia TZ-1 and TZ-2 sports cars all competed strongly with Alfa’s legendary twin-cam engine at their heart.

But Alfa Romeo wanted something more, and in 1967 the Autodelta-prepared Tipo 33 Sports Racing Prototype debuted with a 1995cc 90 degree V-8 engine. The same year, at the Montreal Expo, Alfa Romeo displayed a striking concept car designed by Marcello Gandini that combined the engine and some of the mechanical developments of the Tipo 33 with the chassis of the Giulia GTV.

The car was an instant hit with the public - with styling similarities to Gandini’s Lamborghini Miura, louvered half-headlight covers, and a vented C-pillar that suggested a mid-mounted engine. Soon afterwards, work started on a production model which was released in 1970. The car was known unofficially at first as the ‘Montreal’, and the name stuck.

For the production car, the Alfa Romeo Montreal used a bored-out 2593cc version of the Tipo 33 V-8 mated with a ZF five-speed manual gearbox, SPICA fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication. This produces 200bhp at 6,500rpm giving a top speed just shy of 140mph and 0-60 of under 8 seconds.

The Montreal was not the commercial success that Alfa Romeo expected. Overly complex engineering that required regular specialist maintenance, heavy steering at low speed, and low fuel economy at the time of the oil crisis in 1973 meant that Alfa decided not to adapt the car for the US market. As a consequence, fewer than 4,000 were made. Expensive parts and the usual Alfa rust issues mean that many were scrapped over the next 30 years or so.

However, time has been kind to the Alfa Montreal. Considered an ugly duckling only a few years ago, it has recently been accepted as the iconic 1970s Grand Tourer that it is. The owner of a large UK Alfa parts specialist was an early convert; the parts supply for this unusual car is consequently not quite as bad as it once was. However, as with any small production car, major items may be very hard to find, and consequently expensive. Furthermore the bodywork suffers from the same rust issues as other period Alfas, so a rough Montreal could cost a lot to restore. As ever, try to find a Montreal expert if you are looking to buy.

The Alfa Romeo Montreal is unique as Alfa’s only in-house post-war production V-8. As a sports GT coupe, it has some similarities with the Maserati Merak, the Ferrari 246 Dino and the Lamborghini Silhouette, but its stunningly futuristic looks make it instantly recognisable.