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Modernized Alfa Romeo Montreal Is the Italian Muscle Car That Needs to Happen

Alfa Romeo took a bit of a gamble in 1967 when it showcased an unnamed concept at Expo 67 in Montreal. People started referring to the vehicle as such, and the handle stuck for the series-production model that followed suit three years later.
2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus 13 photos
Photo: Jeroen Claus on Behance
2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus2020 Alfa Romeo Montreal rendering by Jeroen Claus
In hindsight, the Montreal still is a curious case of Alfa Romeo pushing the envelope of Italian sports cars, not exotics like Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and all of those brands that are no longer with us. Why do I think it’s curious? Well, the retractable headlight grilles are not the reason I’m thinking about. It’s the motor!

The Turin-based automaker presented the concept with the four-cylinder engine from the Giulia TI and the short-wheelbase chassis of the Giulia Sprint GT. But instead of 1.6 liters of displacement, we’ve been treated to 2.6 and eight cylinders.

Indeed, the powerplant is what sets the Montreal apart from every other Alfa from that era. Derived from the high-revving V8s of the legendary Tipo 33, the engine in the Montreal was also pretty high tech thanks to dry-sump lubrication and SPICA fuel injection. The cross-plane crankshaft is arguably the biggest difference over the Tipo 33 road and racing cars, giving the Montreal a bit of an American burble.

Production ended in 1977, and as fate would have it, no replacement was offered and Alfa Romeo has rarely treated us to road-going V8 cars since then. The eight-cylinder blunderbuss in the 8C of the 2000s? That fellow comes from Maserati and it’s actually a Ferrari design, so it doesn’t really count as a proper Alfa Romeo.

A big fan of all things with wheels and internal combustion, Frank Industrial Design founder and director Jeroen Claus decided to try his hands at imagining how the Montreal would look if the two-door coupe were to be revived for 2020. “The Alfa Romeo Montreal could, in my opinion, be to the Old Continent what the Ford Mustang or Dodge Challenger is to the American market,” he said on Behance.

Unlike contemporary sports car, Jeroen kept the design as clean as possible thanks to a horizontal cut that stretches over the length of the body. He didn’t change too much from the 1970s original, but the rendering stands out as a tempting proposition. “For some reason, the Montreal always reminded me of the Ferrari Daytona,” added the pixel artist. “The latter being made to appeal to the American market at the time. I wanted to retain that feeling to my new design. A bit of Giulia GT was added for good measure, and I ended up with this Italian muscle car.”

In the photo gallery, you’ll also be treated to “blasphemy renderings” of a go-faster car with a humongous wing, Japanese kanji decals on the windshield, and Khyzyl Saleem influences. Sacrilege or not, the racing version does look like a magnificent machine.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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