In 1967, the world was obsessed with the future. The Montreal Expo promised to showcase the pinnacle of human achievement, and among the many wonders, the organizers needed a car that embodied the ultimate aspiration of modern man. Naturally, they turned to Alfa Romeo—because who else could mix style, speed, and sheer Italian passion into a single vehicle?
Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo was riding a wave of international success. Mike Nichols’ The Graduate had just hit theaters, and alongside Dustin Hoffman’s existential crisis, another star was stealing the show: the Alfa Romeo Spider “Duetto.” The roadster became an instant icon of freedom and coolness, cementing Alfa Romeo as the brand to be seen in. The world was smitten with Italian automotive art, and the Montreal Expo organizers knew exactly where to turn.
But there was just one small problem: they only had nine months to deliver a show-stopping car. Nine months! That’s barely enough time to build a decent backyard shed, let alone craft an automotive masterpiece. Designing a car from scratch was out of the question, so the team at Alfa Romeo did what any resourceful Italians would do—they got creative.
The foundation? The trusty Giulia Sprint GT, already a beloved machine. But this was no mere redesign. Alfa tapped the legendary Carrozzeria Bertone to dream up the exterior and interior, ensuring the car had the jaw-dropping looks to match its ambitious purpose. The technical team, led by the brilliant minds of Orazio Satta Puliga and Giuseppe Busso, got to work on the chassis, making sure it could handle anything from the Giulia’s inline-four engine to the experimental 2.0-liter V8 from the Tipo 33 race car.
The pressure was immense, the deadline was looming, and the expectations were sky-high. Could Alfa Romeo pull off a miracle? Well, if history has taught us anything, it’s that when the Italians set their minds to something—especially when it involves speed, beauty, and a little drama—the result is bound to be unforgettable.
The Prototype: An Accidental Star
Originally, Alfa Romeo had no intention of putting the car into production. The two prototypes sent to the Montreal Expo—out of a total of four commissioned from Bertone—were meant to be nothing more than rolling sculptures, an artistic statement of automotive excellence to be showcased and then tucked away in the company’s museum.
But fate had other plans. The North American public fell head over heels for the sleek coupe. Alfa Romeo’s reputation in the region was soaring, and demand for the car refused to fade. Dealers in Canada and the U.S. pestered the company relentlessly, practically begging them to put the car into production. What was meant to be a one-time showpiece quickly turned into a full-fledged project.
Enter Marcello Gandini. The young designer, not even 30 years old at the time, was already making waves at Bertone, and his work on the Alfa Romeo Montreal was nothing short of stunning. The car sat low and wide, with an aggressive stance and elegant proportions. Its most distinctive feature? The striking front end, where the deep-set headlights were partially covered by unique “venetian blind” slats—an innovative solution that improved aerodynamics while adding an unmistakable visual signature.
The side profile featured sharply raked glass and distinctive six-slot vents on the rear pillars, a styling element that would become synonymous with the Montreal. The rear end was equally striking, with a truncated tail, subtle integrated spoiler, and dual central exhausts that hinted at the power within. The two prototypes were finished in pearl white, gleaming under the Expo’s bright lights.
Under the skin, one of the early test cars—internally dubbed the “Montrealina”—was fitted with Alfa’s trusty twin-cam 1.6-liter four-cylinder from the Giulia. But that wasn’t enough for Alfa’s president, Giuseppe Luraghi. He wanted something truly special under the hood, and so the decision was made to equip the car with a detuned version of the dry-sump, 2.6-liter V8 derived from the legendary Tipo 33 Stradale. This meant a drop in power from a screaming 130 horsepower per liter to a more manageable 77 hp/liter, but it still made for an exciting and exotic engine choice.
The engine swap, however, came at a cost. Adapting the Montreal to accommodate the V8 delayed development, and tensions flared between Bertone and Alfa Romeo. The windshield rake had to be adjusted, and the hood had to be raised to make space for the bigger engine. Then came a new problem—during test runs on the winding Passo della Cisa, the carbureted engine struggled with fuel delivery in corners. The solution? Alfa engineers turned to a mechanical SPICA fuel injection system, ensuring smooth performance under hard driving.
When the two concept cars were finally unveiled at the Expo, they were placed in the “Man the Producer” pavilion. Thanks to an ingenious mirror display, the cars appeared to extend infinitely, reinforcing the illusion of boundless automotive progress.
Today, both of these original prototypes are part of the FCA Heritage collection, proudly displayed at the Alfa Romeo Museum. And in an amusing twist of history, had the 1967 Expo been held as originally planned in Moscow—rather than Montreal—the car would have likely been given a completely different, and perhaps much less glamorous, name.
The Production Version: A Grand Tourer with an Identity Crisis
Fast forward to 1970, and the production-ready Alfa Romeo Montreal made its grand debut at the Geneva Motor Show. It had bulked up slightly, with a higher hood and a few adjustments to accommodate its V8 heart. Customers could finally order their own slice of automotive exotica, with deliveries beginning in 1972. Price? A cool 5,700,000 lire—definitely not pocket change. And if you had a little extra cash to burn, you could spec it with power windows, metallic paint, or even air conditioning (which set you back an additional 290,000 lire).
Under the hood, the 2.6-liter V8 had been tamed slightly for road use, producing 200 horsepower at 6,500 rpm. It was paired with a five-speed ZF manual transmission—one of the best in the business—but the rear differential, borrowed from the 2000 GT, struggled under the power. Many Montreals that hit the track, especially in the U.S. and South Africa, ended their races with a busted differential rather than a checkered flag.
On the road, the Alfa Romeo Montreal wasn’t quite a race-bred sports car, but rather a high-speed grand tourer. Its chassis, borrowed from the Giulia, was never meant to handle the forces of a potent V8, leading to noticeable body roll in corners. The brakes, while adequate for the time, weren’t exactly confidence-inspiring when pushing the car to its limits. Despite this, its performance figures were nothing to scoff at: a 0–100 km/h time of around 7 seconds and a top speed of 224 km/h made it one of the fastest GT cars of its era.
But just as the Montreal was beginning to carve out its niche, the 1973 oil crisis arrived like an uninvited guest at an Italian dinner party. Suddenly, high-performance V8-powered dream machines weren’t exactly in high demand. Alfa Romeo soldiered on, producing 3,925 units before finally pulling the plug in 1977. By the end, demand had dwindled so much that only 50 Montreals were registered in the final two years of production.
The Montreal’s Legacy
The Alfa Romeo Montreal never became the sales success its creators had hoped for, but it remains a fascinating piece of automotive history. It was a car that wasn’t supposed to exist, yet managed to defy the odds and capture the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide. Today, it’s a sought-after collector’s item, with values steadily climbing as more people recognize its unique blend of beauty, performance, and pure Alfa Romeo character.
From an impromptu show car to a production oddity, the Montreal embodies everything we love about Italian cars—passion, flair, and a touch of chaos. And while it may not have been perfect, it was never boring. In the end, isn’t that what makes a car truly great?
