Alfa Romeo Montreal

Bold.

'The Montreal'. I grew up in Montreal, and I would never have seen one of these. Reason being? They were not sold in Canada. Under 4000 were made over a seven year run. Small figures, all considering, but this is not the only reason they retain a certain exclusive status.

As sports coupes, they had exceptional performance figures for the era. The 2.6 litre V8 produced just short of 200 brake, with headline figures of 7.4 seconds and 138mph. What really grabbed fans of the Montreal though weren't just it's performance figures, but it's looks. Bertone edged Gandini for the right to design the production vehicle, and it pushed the stylistic bar at a time when bell bottoms were the apex of fashion and the American car industry could only pump out Ford Pintos and AMC Pacers (the car we did have in Canada!).

Most of the styling cues were for cosmetic purposes, like the slats on the c-pillar, but overall it enchanted and remains a landmark car for Alfa. It did not sell. It did not blow it's immediate competition out of the water. But it maintained Alfa's reputation as a company that would take a chance and build cars with soul and not just for the bottom line.