The Story of Alfa Romeo Montreal: Design Brilliance and Limited Production

Unique ONES - It seems that nowadays many good automotive designs are simply forgotten. It can happen because there are so many things that are affected into it. Starting from the complexity of safety rules and so on, which then determines what a designer can and cannot do in designing a reliable vehicle for public road use.

One of two Alfa Romeo Montreal concept cars built for Expo 67 is displayed in the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum in Arese, Italy, while the other is in museum storage. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

And what's even sadder is that not a few car manufacturers, which incidentally are big companies, are actually more interested in pleasing their investors than their consumers. Well, among those few good automotive designs, it turns out that only a handful have made it onto the company's production line.

The most striking feature of the Alfa Romeo Montreal is its front end, characterized by four headlights partially concealed by an 'unconventional' grille, which opens when the lights are turned on. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

One fortunate design that emerged was the Alfa Romeo Montreal, which was initially unveiled as a concept car at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67 held in Montreal, Canada. Initially nameless, the public and automotive community started referring to it as 'The Montreal'.

Alfa Romeo Montreal exhibits the classic 2+2 beauty characteristic of wedge coupe body styles from the 1970s. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

Alfa Romeo Montreal exhibits the classic 2+2 beauty characteristic of wedge coupe body styles from the 1970s. When it made its appearance at the Expo 67, the car featured bodywork designed by Marcello Gandini from Bertone. It was built on on the chassis of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT, and powered by a 1,600 cc engine borrowed from Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti.

Alfa Romeo Montreal's interior covered by black leather for all-four seats and other cabin components. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

The first production version of the Alfa Romeo Montreal (Tipo 105.64) was showcased at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show with notable differences in engine specifications compared to the concept version. The production version was equipped with a 2.6-liter V8 engine, capable of producing 197 hp. This enabled the Montreal to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 7.4 seconds, reaching a top speed of 220 kph.

The Alfa Romeo Montreal is powered by a 2,593 cc 2.6-liter V8 engine capable of producing 197 hp coupled with a ZF 5-speed manual gearbox plus a limited-slip differential. (Picture from: Wikipedia)

The Montreal's V8 engine is paired with a ZF 5-speed manual gearbox featuring a limited-slip differential. This engine was derived from the Tipo 33 Stradale sportscar with a redline set at 7,000 rpm, which was high for a V8 engine at that time. The production version of the Alfa Romeo Montreal utilized the chassis and running gear from the Giulia GTV.

Since the concept car had already gained recognition as the 'Montreal', Alfa Romeo decided to retain the name for the production version. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

Since the concept car had already gained recognition as the 'Montreal', Alfa Romeo decided to retain the name for the production version. The most striking feature of the Montreal is its front end, characterized by four headlights partially concealed by an 'unconventional' grille, which opens when the lights are turned on.

The design of the Alfa Romeo Montreal remained unchanged until production ceased in 1977, with a total of 3,917 units rolling off the assembly line. (Picture from: OtoBlitz)

The design of the Alfa Romeo Montreal remained unchanged until production ceased in 1977, with a total of 3,917 units rolling off the assembly line. One of those two Montreal concept cars built for the Expo 67 is displayed at the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum (Museo Storico Alfa Romeo) in Arese, Milan Italy, while the other is stored in the museum's collection.

Interestingly, despite its name, none of the Alfa Romeo Montreals were officially sold in Montreal, Canada. This was due to the Italian automaker's decision not to develop a North American version of the Alfa Romeo Montreal that would comply with emission control requirements in the United States and Canada. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SECRET-CLASSIC | WIKIPEDIA ]

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