There are cars, which one approaches with awe. The Alfa Romeo Montreal is one of these. The breathtakingly beautiful, of Bertone Designer Marcello Gandini (81, also created the Lamborghini Miura) – drawn Coupé brings us today to Dream. Even if us anecdotes about cable fires, strikes the end of the cylinder and cracked the steering Wheel-let columns wince. But as soon as we sink to the seats in beige leather, occurs in the Background. It is the desire to Travel remains.
Already at the Start of the V8 engine is Feeling on the icon of the chicken skin: The eight-cylinder sports car genes and dates back to the legendary Tipo 33/2 race. For serial use his engine was bored out from 2.0 to 2.6 litres, the power to 200 HP reduced the strength for the sake of. Its Mechanics is impressive: four overhead camshafts, dry sump lubrication, five-bearing crankshaft, and the mechanical fuel injection system Spica (Società Pompe Iniezione Cassani & Affini).
This V8 wanna be
turned To the road of only 4.22 metres short of Montreal is, even after 50 years, still in his Element. He offers everything you expect from an Italian sports car of the 1970s with the “Scudetto” on it: wood steering wheel, close pedals and the bent leg position, which led to the Alfa-typical “Frog” position.
the Front of the V8 fireworks rages with its own tonality and characteristics. A bulky Babble or Power from the depth of the room. The short-stroke, 200 HP V8 will be rotated, only then you go forward (from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 s). From the hoarse Grumbling sound is Singing in the end.
It is quickly hot
Up to 220 km/h, the Motor drives the 1.3 tonnes of light Montreal – and with so much of Italian Grandezza, it is no matter that it is fast, really hot. The jubilant eight-cylinder radiates heat, and our model has no air conditioning. This cool round instruments: tachometer on the right, Tacho on the left. In the middle toggle switch for electric window and light.
With a rotary lever, the sheet Drapes downward, and expose the headlights. But then, the Montreal looks almost ordinary. So we leave the light on, as often as possible (and in the case of our test drive in Germany, there is no need for a dipped beam), and the curtains at the top. Because the eye and your Bedroom eyes are captivating.
Classic Granturismo
The steering requires muscles. You want to heave the Montreal the curves, just with a lot of impact. In the Stand, you should not handle by the way, to stark at the wheel – you could bend the steering column or break. The crisp five-speed circuit, ZF convinced, even today, with a short and precise Paths.
At the rear axle a limited slip differential in the curves helps. However, the relatively comfortably-tuned coupe pushes in fast corners its limits, the body begins to falter. Because the Montreal-landing gear is up on a few Details, identical with that of the GTV 2000 (Bertone), of the GTJ or the Giulia. Therefore, the Montreal is a Gran Turismo in the truest sense of the word – a brisk tour mobile, but not compromise on top athletes.
was Breathtakingly beautiful, but …
But so breathtakingly beautiful at that time (in Switzerland, from 1972 to 39’500 Swiss francs-of-use) of Montreal, so vulnerable to his technique was. Therefore, were sold in the seven years from 1970 to 1977, the world’s only 3925 (some speak of 3917) piece. Consequently, there are today only a few well-preserved specimens of Montreal, for which you have to pay 80’000 to 100’000 Swiss francs.
