Alfa Romeo

In 1967, Alfa Romeo, already a global icon, gained additional fame through Mike Nichols’ film “The Graduate,” prominently showcasing the Spider Duetto. The organisers of EXPO 1967, recognising Alfa’s popularity, approached the Milanese company to build an automobile representing the “highest aspiration of modern man in terms of cars”. Starting from scratch wasn’t feasible with just nine months until the exhibition. So Alfa leveraged the Giulia Sprint GT as a base and enlisted Carrozzeria Bertone to craft the bodywork. The extraordinary success of the “Expo ’67” concept vehicles convinced Alfa Romeo management to convert the prototype into a mass-produced touring car. 

 Marcello Gandini created a road-friendly version, raising the bonnet to accommodate the powerful V8 engine from the 33 Stradale, increasing the displacement to 2.6 litres but lowering the power output from 130 HP to around 77 HP to be more suitable for road use. The unveiled ‘Montreal’ made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1970.

 A total of 3925 cars were produced due to the decline in popularity of sports cars caused by the oil crisis of the 1970s. The Montreal continues to captivate audiences today, even making a Hollywood appearance alongside Charlize Theron in the 2017 film Atomic Blonde.