The Montreal was a rare excursion by Alfa Romeo into the highly competitive super car arena, with a front engined V8 coupe. The shape, created by Bertone, had first been shown as a dream car at the world Fair in Montreal in 1967. However, the public were so surprisingly enthusiastic about it that Alfa Romeo decided to put it into production. Although it was to be based on ordinary Giulia running gear, Alfa Romeo had decreed that its new flagship vehicle should come with a new engine. This was to four camshafts; Spica fuel injection and an output of 200 bhp form 2.6 liters. Matched to a ZF five speed transmission, the car was good for almost 137 mph (219 km/h), but many critics thought the chassis which used a primitive, live rear axle, was not worthy of the power offered by its engine. The handing was safe but somewhat uninspired. Worse, the ride was appalling jolty for what was intended to be luxurious long distance express two of the most critical errors for any car in its class. The radical look of the Montreal led to it appearing appread in quite a few mid 1970s films, such as The Destructors, where Michael Caine’s Montreal chasses a yellow Porsche 911.
The shape although dramatic, with its slats and shapely glass area, seemed to date quickly. By the mid 1970s, Alfa Romeo had lost interest in the cars, which was in very low volume production anyway and never seemed destined to make much money.
