"Montreal II" at Geneva

[Bruce Taylor <Bruce.Taylor@domain.elided>]

I'm sorry my post on this subject appeared as a mess - I didn't realise
the Digest doesn't handle European accented characters!  Here's a re-try:

32 years after the Montreal debut at Expo '67, another big GT coupe
dream car from the Bertone - Alfa Romeo partnership was presented at the
press visit to the 1999 Geneva Motor Show yesterday.

Describing Bertone's stylish new Alfa 166-based concept car "Bella",
Automobil Revue commented: "Auch an den Montreal, das exklusive V8-Coupe
der siebziger Jahre, soll mit diesem Einzelstueck erinnert werden".
(Rough translation: "This unique creation also reminds us of the
Montreal, the exclusive V8 coupe of the seventies").

The Alfa Romeo Montreal precedent is also evoked by Bertone, who
describe the Bella as "an elegant coupe full of zest, for grand tourism
driving on long trips".  They point out that the restricted luggage
space/rear seat problem of so-called 2+2 coupes has been solved by
fitting the Bella with an unusual tilt-back rear seat and squab.

Over 700,000 visitors are expected to attend the 1999 Geneva Show, and
the organisers claim that some 200 of the cars being exhibited are world
premieres.  The show opens to the public at 9 am today, 11 March.  At
8:30 traffic was already backed up several km on the approach route from Lausanne.

The classic car exhibit this year comprises a collection of treasures
from Maharajahs of India.  Among the Farman, Hispano-Suiza and one of a
fleet of six Rolls Royce tiger-hunters is the Aga Khan's Alfa Romeo - a
splendid 1925 Torpedo with hand-burnished aluminium coachwork by Ercole
Castagna of Milan.  But the ultimate in extravagance must be the 1912
"Swan Car", with its exotic sculpted body of painted wood.  The driver
could cause a jet of steam to be ejected from the swan's beak to
encourage the crowds to disperse!  Just for a few days I've put a
(rather mediocre) pic of the Swan Car at
http://wwwecp.cern.ch/swancar.jpg.  Enjoy!

Bruce Taylor
Geneva
http://www.cern.ch/TTC/montreal.html

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