Alfa Romeo Montreal - Classic Alfa Romeos
69The Junior Z Grows Up
You could think of the Alfa Romeo Montreal as the big brother to the Alfa Romeo Junior Z. Unlike the 1300-engined Junior Z, the Montreal came with a 2.6-litre V8 pumping out 200bhp.
This car was a rare and, it has to be said, failed excursion in to the Italian supercar market by Alfa Romeo. It was first shown as a concept car in 1967 at the Montreal World Fair, but the public seemed to be taken with it so Alfa set up a low-volume production run for the car as a flagship model for their range.
I think they would have done better to stick to the little beauties like the Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV and the Spider 'Duetto'.
A Quad-Cam V8
The engine was based on Alfa's Type 33 racing V8 engine with quad-cams and Spica fuel injection, and was matched to a ZF 5-speed transmission. The Montreal could do almost 140mph but unfortunaltey its chassis let it down. Rarely for Alfa they built a car whose handling left something to be desired. The chassis struggled to cope with the power and the ride was rough, meaning that the car mised its mark as a high-speed cruiser for the wealthy. Sales never really took off even for the limited numbers Alfa Romeo had expected to sell so the car was quietly dropped in 1976.
Due to its fairly radical looks it got a part in a few movies, including 'The Destructors' where Michael Caine uses one to chase a yellow Porsce 911. Its looks were another problem for Alfa, as they seemed to date quickly, and so did nothing to help its popularity - or lack there of.
Alfa Romeo Montreal on Amazon
 | Amazon Price: $57.66 List Price: $130.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $12.99 List Price: $13.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $109.99 List Price: $199.99 |
Technical Specifications: Alfa Romeo Montreal
Engine: V8, 2593cc
Power: 200bhp
Brakes: Disc all around
Transmission: 5-speed
Suspension: Independent front, live rear axle
Top speed: 137mph
Acceleration: 0-60mph in 7.6 seconds
An Alfa Romeo Montreal on a mountain road
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