1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal Serial Number 1426338

1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal Description

We are pleased to offer 1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal s/n AR*1426338, priced to sell and ready to go. The Alfa Romeo Montreal is arguably the most exotic of the post-war Alfa production cars, thanks to a detuned version of the quad-cam fuel-injected dry sump V8 used in the legendary T33 sports prototype racer. With 200 bhp from its 2,593 cc DOHC V-8 engine, Spica mechanical fuel injection, a five-speed ZF S5-18/3 gearbox, front independent suspension, a live rear axle with coil-spring suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and a chassis derived from the venerable 105-series cars, the Montreal was a sophisticated and striking car. In late 1966 Alfa Romeo was given the honor of creating a conceptual car to define man’s aspiration for the automobile at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition, held in Montreal, Canada, as part of Canada’s 100 anniversary celebrations. Alfa assigned coachwork duties to Bertone, and the project was spearheaded by Marcelo Gandini, the young designer who had leapt to the forefront of the automotive imagination with the Lamborghini Miura. Indeed, the Alfa Montreal can be viewed as a design and engineering cross between an Alfa GTV and a Lamborghini Miura SV, both of which were bodied by Bertone. Using the same cues that made the Miura so innovative, the new Alfa was wide and low with a shark-like nose extending through a curved fender and shoulder haunches into a truncated tail. The headlight “blinds” and stacked horizontal vents on the C-pillar were attractive, as well as futuristic in concept.

Alfa debuted the Alfa Romeo Montreal as a production model at the 1970 Geneva Auto Salon. The 90° dry-sump V8 redlined at 7,000 rpm, taking the Montreal from 0 to 60mph in 7.1 seconds with a top speed of nearly 140. While the Montreal offers excellent performance and stunning Marcello Gandini good looks, it also features four seats and a trunk, making it a practical and usable exotic. Ironically, none were ever sold in Montreal because sales were limited to the European market. With a sticker price higher than a Jaguar XKE or Porsche 911, the striking design and exhilarating performance were not enough to tempt many buyers, with just 3,925 examples built by 1977. Regardless, the Montreal is a beautiful hand-built Italian sports car worthy of a place in any collection. It is estimated that as few as 100 examples have made their way to the US. Thanks to the substantial enthusiast support and the number of parts shared with more numerous Alfas, a Montreal can be kept in top form without breaking the bank.

The Alfa Romeo historical archive records indicate s/n 1426338 was manufactured on the 30th March 1972 and sold new on the 21st April 1972 in Como, Italy. This Montreal was specified with factory air-conditioning in a decidedly ’70s combination of desirable green metallic “Verde Mettallizzatto” AR-224, as the original paint sticker in the luggage compartment confirms, over a tan interior in “Havana” color scheme. Sometime in the mid 1980s the car was purchased by Alois Necesanek. He then brought the car to Canada, and located in Vernon BC, known for its dry climate which helped in the preservation of the car. Alois had the car repainted in 1989 in Calgary in an elegant Champagne Metallic color because Alois’s wife didn’t like the bright factory color. It is unclear when the A/C compressor and evaporator were removed, although an original A/C setup was located in the UK (not included), and all necessary hoses from the engine compartment to the car’s interior and the A/C controls in the center console are still present. In 2009 Alois sold the car to his friend Erich Sterchi. Erich enjoyed the car until 2015 when he sold the car to the present owner. Since then the car has been extensively serviced by Milo Gach of Milo European Cars in Vancouver. The car is ready to drive and the engine pulls solidly with plenty of torque and power. The fuel injection runs well and was overhauled by Wes Ingram (by many considered to be “the” North American Spica guru) about 3 years ago. The gearbox is tight and the clutch was replaced in the last 2 years. The suspension is also solid and the brakes are strong. The car has an original Alfa Romeo exhaust system (this matters as some aftermarket exhaust systems and pipes bring exhaust fumes back into the car while driving) and the original labels on the spark plug wires are still present. With the exception of the clock, all gauges and switches are fully operational.

Cosmetically the car stresses originality and is in very good condition for its age and mileage. The paintwork has some minor scratches, a couple of small dents on the hood and a spot with some discoloration below the rear windshield. There are some minor stress cracks in the paint in areas where the body flexes and some very minor wear marks on the doors and around the trunk opening. All the stainless bumpers and trim pieces; window frames, door strips and grille are in good unrestored condition. Aside from a dent in the front right bumper, there is no evidence anywhere on the body or underside that the car has ever been in an accident although there is some rust present at the bottom of the rocker panels and the jack points, as can be expected with a largely original car of that age and as shown in our photos. Overall, the car makes a strong visual impression and from 10 feet away the average person would have a difficult time discerning this car from a restored example ready for show.

Aside from some additional buttons on the console, the period radio, the speaker upgrade and front seat covers that were replaced at some point in time, the interior is basically untouched and is in good condition. The headliner, rear seat area, and cloth seat upholstery are all good shape except for some wear on the driver’s seat. The seat fabric is not original. All the futuristic gauges are in excellent condition, as is most of the dash, although there is a small crack in the top of the dash. The driver’s floor carpet shows minimal wear, and the factory wood steering wheel is glossy but shows nicks and scratches. The trunk is still fitted with the original felted wool fabric, and is in good condition. The engine bay is original, unrestored, clean, and complete. The underside, while not detailed, is straight and solid and there is no evidence that it has ever had any accident repair although there is rust in the rocker panels, as shown in our photos. The speedo/odo shows 9,735 kms but is likely that the actual mileage is 109,735 kms.

If you’ve been looking for a ready-to-drive, unrestored and modestly priced exotic or an example of one of Alfa’s most interesting road cars, this car is for you. Comes with all the original books and manuals and a variety of service records on the car. The next owner can certainly enjoy the car as a driver, or do a restoration in preparation for showing the car in the summer of 2017, at AROC’s AGM. The meet is in Montreal, in celebration of the Alfa Romeo Montreal’s 50th anniversary.

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