RE: You Know You Want To... Alfa Romeo Montreal

RE: You Know You Want To... Alfa Romeo Montreal

Wednesday 25th May 2011

You Know You Want To... Alfa Romeo Montreal

Get out your roll-neck and your string-backed driving gloves...



Following on from our look at the Citroen SM, here's Alfa Romeo's take on a seventies coupe. Like its French cousin it's exotic, sounds sublime, is good to look at, will make you regret the day you bought it if it goes wrong, is probably a bad idea, and I've always wanted one.

This particular Montreal has the added draw of having once been owned by Yasmin LeBon (to all PHers who are under 35, she's a stunning former model who married Duran Duran frontman Simon LeBon. If you don't know who Duran Duran were, you're not missing much...). Described by its current owner as being 'in condition one, but not concours' this car appears to be completely original, having had no major work done to it, just the correct maintenance.


The engine in these things is just a work of art. It's a high-winding 2.6 litre dry-sump, race-bred, aluminium V8 based on the 2.0 version slotted into the beastie featured in the video below. Lovely, isn't it? Of course you'd need to keep right on top of this thing in terms of servicing, and woe betide if you ever need any major engine work. Having said that, the current owner is so confident of his Montreal, if it doesn't sell he's going to drive it to Finland this summer. No, seriously...

A stunning thing to look at (those louvres over the headlights and the Miura-style doors...), it's a car that should lock your head and heart in mortal combat - but shouldn't all (older) Alfas? The asking price is probably about right for a top-notch road-going example, although if exotic Seventies coupes are your thing you might find it hard to swallow that values seem to be greater than for the Citroen SM.



Author
Discussion

angry jock

Original Poster:

1,005 posts

198 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Oh yes please cloud9 Stunning in everyway......

vixen1700

22,669 posts

269 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
What is it, bankruptcy week?

The SM and now this. biggrin

FWDRacer

3,564 posts

223 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Shed of the Week is a bit early, isn't it?

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Even as a lad, this was a "second rung" desirable car and my favourite of that era was the SMs kith and kin, the Khamsin:


So much though I loved Alfas this didn't do anything for me.

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Fantastic looking car!!! And even better in the flesh. biggrin

cookie1600

2,094 posts

160 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
PH really getting the juices flowing with these, cheers! What's not to like with a quad cam V8 and those grilles over the lights? As long as the metal moth hasn't set up home, what a lovely way to burble into the sunset.

More "you know you want to's" please, how about the Lancia Beta Monte Carlo next?

Hairspray

6,225 posts

206 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Bloody gorgeous. Want, alot.

sc4589

1,958 posts

164 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
FWDRacer said:
Shed of the Week is a bit early, isn't it?
  • evil snigger*
hehe

Is it bad that these don't do anything for me? Would rather have the SM...

r11co

6,244 posts

229 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
sc4589 said:
Is it bad that these don't do anything for me?
Only for what it says about you.

Gorgeous, lovely, stunning, incredible etc. etc. etc.

I am doubly biased though as my mother used to work for the engineering division that produced the injection system on these (their name is on the engine cover - SPICA).

SpunkyMonkey

425 posts

194 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Gorgeous in every way - I seriously want that car!

xxplod

2,269 posts

243 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
I reckon that's good value. What else does £25K buy you that is anything like as rare/classy/stylish?

sinbaddio

2,357 posts

175 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Worth £25k to sit on the same seat of the glorious Yasmin (Simon really did pull well and truly out of his league there). That said, the car is equally as gorgeous!rolleyes

silversixx

140 posts

210 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
sinbaddio said:
Worth £25k to sit on the same seat of the glorious Yasmin (Simon really did pull well and truly out of his league there). That said, the car is equally as gorgeous!rolleyes
When I was at school and the news broke about them getting together, my mates dad said "it's like a race horse pulling a beer cart."

Paul Dishman

4,676 posts

236 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
When I had Alfasuds back in the dim and distant past (1976-1984) I'm sure these went for £25K, so they've depreciated over the years...

MartinJames

25 posts

160 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
If I had this and the SM in my garage I would be the happiest man in the world. Oh, and a Strato's for the weekend.

sprinter1050

11,550 posts

226 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Gloriously lusty old thing ( the Montreal not Yasmin- but then I am only guessing wink )

Always liked the image of them but for some odd reason never realised they were only 2.6 Litres !!

A local businessman had one some years back-may still have for all I know. Not sure if Clapton didn't have one too.

angusc43

11,435 posts

207 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Gorgeous. I prefer it to the SM. Only shame is that they stuck a live axle on it - a bit crude when you look at the amazing bodywork and quad cam V8.

So on that basis I'll have the Khamsin, thanks.

SWoll

18,206 posts

257 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
FWDRacer said:
Shed of the Week is a bit early, isn't it?
Bloody Philistine!

Amateurish

7,697 posts

221 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Love the Montreal but isn't £25k rather steep for one of these?

Fartgalen

6,630 posts

206 months

Wednesday 25th May 2011
quotequote all
Don't care much for the SM - but I like to think I'd give one of these 'a go'.