Photo: Marc Weis via Instagram
Different countries have different car cultures, and we can all agree this planet would have been a much more boring place if it weren't like that. I mean, you might live in the USA and love your truck and your loud and obnoxious muscle car, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the simple beauty of a 1950's FIAT 500, right?
It's not as if the Italians can't see the appeal of a V8 engine, but their medieval roads can barely fit one Chevy Camaro, let alone two going opposite ways, so they had to adapt. Plus, gas was never as affordable in Europe as it used to be in the States, so there's that to consider as well.
Given the circumstances, I think we can give a lot of credit to the people inhabiting the boot-shaped peninsula for coming up with lots and lots of exciting models, and bar the really exotic names such as Ferrari, Lamborghini or Maserati, no other brand is more guilty of that than Alfa Romeo.
With a history spanning over a century, Alfa Romeo has become synonymous with a lot of things, some more flattering than others. But while the company's detractors prefer to focus on its renowned reliability -problems, the rest choose to see the full half of the glass. In this case, that would be the jaw-dropping designs that have worn the Alfa Romeo badge over the years.
There's a long list of names here and I'm sure a lot of people with whom I wouldn't see eye to eye would come after my family if I ventured to blurt out an actual classification, so let's just settle on the fact that the Montreal was one of the better-looking models and leave it to that.
Presented as a 2+2 coupe back in the very late '60s, the Montreal was a perfect example why people associate Italy in general, and Alfa Romeo in particular with the idea of visual craftsmanship. Having benefited from Bertone's touch, the coupe featured a classic set-up at that time with the engine fitted at the front sending its power to the rear wheels. And, guess what, it featured a V8 engine, though to be fair, at just 2,600 cc (159 ci), it was about half the size of its American counterparts at the time.
All things considered, you can find a much worse starting point than the Montreal when looking to design a modern Italian muscle car. Ish. That wasn't probably the author's intention (Marc Weis), but this thing he created is as close to one as we can probably have. The shape is more similar to an Audi R8, for example, but that front end commands the kind of bullish respect we've come to expect from the classic American powerhouses.
Given the circumstances, I think we can give a lot of credit to the people inhabiting the boot-shaped peninsula for coming up with lots and lots of exciting models, and bar the really exotic names such as Ferrari, Lamborghini or Maserati, no other brand is more guilty of that than Alfa Romeo.
With a history spanning over a century, Alfa Romeo has become synonymous with a lot of things, some more flattering than others. But while the company's detractors prefer to focus on its renowned reliability -problems, the rest choose to see the full half of the glass. In this case, that would be the jaw-dropping designs that have worn the Alfa Romeo badge over the years.
There's a long list of names here and I'm sure a lot of people with whom I wouldn't see eye to eye would come after my family if I ventured to blurt out an actual classification, so let's just settle on the fact that the Montreal was one of the better-looking models and leave it to that.
Presented as a 2+2 coupe back in the very late '60s, the Montreal was a perfect example why people associate Italy in general, and Alfa Romeo in particular with the idea of visual craftsmanship. Having benefited from Bertone's touch, the coupe featured a classic set-up at that time with the engine fitted at the front sending its power to the rear wheels. And, guess what, it featured a V8 engine, though to be fair, at just 2,600 cc (159 ci), it was about half the size of its American counterparts at the time.
All things considered, you can find a much worse starting point than the Montreal when looking to design a modern Italian muscle car. Ish. That wasn't probably the author's intention (Marc Weis), but this thing he created is as close to one as we can probably have. The shape is more similar to an Audi R8, for example, but that front end commands the kind of bullish respect we've come to expect from the classic American powerhouses.
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