Montreal

[Les Singh <Les.Singh@xxxxxxxxx>]

My 2 cents worth:
 I consider the Montreal one of the nicest cars I've ever diriven. I have
had the pleasure of driving both the left hand drive and right hand drive
versions. 

We (Alfa club) exhibited the lhd at a car show and the owner lent it on
condition I drive it to the venue about 30 miles away; the sacrifices I
make! Just happened he wanted to trade it for my Green GTV and and Alfetta
saloon I had at the time, and no, I wouldn't trade the GTV for anything.
I'll never forget the glorious sound of the engine at high speed, around
130 mph, and also when accelerating through the gears. On the way back, I
was being held up by 4 cars until we got to an open uphill curve and the
road was clear. From about 50 mph flick it down a gear, hit the loud pedal
and it was like afterburners cutting in all the way to 7000 rpm. It was all
over in second and the 4 cars I passed in one hit were back there
somewhere... what a car, and definitely more fun to drive than even the
Ferrari 365 GTB. It is similar in one respect to the Ferrari - you need to
pick up the revs quite a bit before dropping the clutch, like driving a
race car with a lightweight flywheel/clutch, because of the VERY oversquare
engine; in the case of the Ferrari its that light flywheel, almost a flex
plate.

For me, the Montreal is one of the best modern classicAlfas ever made. I
class it as modern to distinguish it from say the 1750 Gran Sport Zagato,
which I haven't driven but have had a ride in.  I know that its a "bitsa"
using many 2000 GTV bits but that short stroke V8, which can be thought of
as two 1300 GTA engines in V-formation, is pure magic, and many features eg
ventilated disks/rotors are specific to the model. Montreal owners are very
fortunate in owning something that is pure Alfa through and through.

Les - driving the GTV in the rain .... rather drive a Mini than an Audi..

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