Alfa Romeo Montreal 1970 – 76
Alfa Romeo Montreal – A Rare and Beautiful Sight
I have to say, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have seen not just one, but a couple of Alfa Romeo Montreals (in right-hand drive!) right here in the Klang Valley.!!
What an awesome sight. All this while, I had imagined the Montreal to be larger, longer, or even a bit beefier in presence. But no – it’s not quite what I expected, or at least, not what I remembered from the last time I saw one back in the 1980s.
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman who owns it. We sat and talked about the car and his journey in acquiring it. The passion on his face, the excitement in his voice—it’s always infectious when someone speaks about a car they truly love. He’s currently in the process of restoring it, and I honestly can’t wait for the day it’s finished. If I’m lucky, I might even get to take it for a drive.
With some help from Google, I finally understood why Alfa Romeo chose the Tipo 33-derived V8 engine and increased the displacement to 2593cc. That engine alone is a story worth telling.
A Little History
The Alfa Romeo Montreal was born out of a mix of racing pedigree, Italian flair, and 1970s automotive optimism. It made its debut as a concept car at Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada – hence the name – where it was displayed as a futuristic vision of Alfa’s capabilities. Designed by the legendary Marcello Gandini at Bertone, the concept stunned audiences with its aggressive front-end, louvered headlamp covers, and signature side vents behind the doors.
When Alfa Romeo decided to put the Montreal into production in 1970, it needed a powertrain worthy of its exotic looks. Enter the detuned version of the Tipo 33’s 2.6L V8 engine – originally built for racing. This all-alloy, dry-sump, 90-degree V8 featured twin overhead camshafts per bank, electronic ignition, and a Spica mechanical fuel injection system. While known for being a bit temperamental, the Spica injection gave the car character.
Though the Montreal’s engine produced around 200 horsepower, it wasn’t quite enough to go head-to-head with its supercar contemporaries from Ferrari or Lamborghini. Still, it wasn’t slow either. A top speed of around 137 mph (220 km/h) and a 0–100 km/h time under 8 seconds made it a respectable performer for the era.
Curiously, despite its exotic engine, the Montreal retained a live rear axle—a bit old-school by the standards of the time. But thanks to Alfa’s clever suspension tuning and relatively low unsprung weight, it handled well enough for spirited driving.
Production ran from 1970 to 1977, with around 3,900 units built in total. That’s a pretty small number, and even fewer were made in right-hand drive, making it a very rare sight today—especially in Malaysia.
The Alfa Romeo Montreal is a bit of an oddball: not quite a full-blown supercar, and not exactly a grand tourer. But what it does offer is uniqueness, character, and a direct link to Alfa Romeo’s racing past. It may not have been a commercial hit, but it stands today as a worthy spiritual successor to the great 8C 2300 and 2900 series from the pre-war years.
Till I see the car next in the future…..
bye for now…and sign up
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