I will start off this article with a long list of nice automobiles:
Bugatti EB110, Ferrari Dino 308GT4, Cizeta Moroder, De Tomaso Pantera and Mangusta, Lancia Stratos, Maserati Ghibli, Quattroporte, Khamsin and Shamal, Lamborghini Urraco, Espada, Miura, Jarama, Diablo and Countach.
What do these cars have in common, other than being some of the most outrageously beautiful cars of all human history..? Well, one thing. They're all designed by a guy called Marcello Gandini. Yes, all of them.
He joined the famous design legend Carrozzeria Bertone in 1966, tipping the brim of his hat to Giorgetto Giugiaro who left the company at the same time. Marcello quickly made a name for himself after finishing Giugiaro's project designing the stunning Lamborghini Miura. Many cars were to follow, but the one featured here is perhaps one of his lesser known contributions to automotive beauty - the Alfa Romeo Montreal.
Introduced by Alfa Romeo as the only car at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition (or simply Expo 67), it was mainly presented as a concept car not intended for production. In reality, it didn't even have a name. Curiously, since Expo 67 was held in Montreal, the car was simply nicknamed "The Montreal". When the audience heeded the car into production, this became a natural working title. Eventually, it would also become the final name. I can see why, it has a nice ring to it.
But Alfa Romeo wasn't that well prepared for the task. The biggest engine in the road car factory line at the time was a measly 1,600 cc. This would surely not suffice in a car with this kind of supercar appeal. Fortunately, the race department had a thing or two in store. The solution? A V8 race engine from the Tipo 33 project, enlarged to 2,600 cc with SPICA fuel injection and a sound worthy of a contemporary supercar. 0-100 km/h in 7,5 secs and a top speed of 220 kph isn't breathtaking by todays standards. But back then it was lightning fast.
In many ways, the Alfa Romeo Montreal came through like an affordable alternative to the Miura. Well, I say affordable. Its pricetag put it head to head with the Porsche 911 Carrera S, which wasn't exactly cheap. Still, both were a bargain compared with the hefty-priced Miura.
Remarkably, many Montreals have survived thanks to passionate owners and generally low mileage. This one has just come back from an extensive refurbish in Italy. Basically, it's a new car. When taking the pictures, the leather interior smelled like a fresh horses stable and the paintwork even on the reverse side of the bonnet still gleamed. I think it's safe to say that this is one of the most stunning Montreals out there today.
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