Show cars - automobile manufacturers taunt us with them; visionary styling design exercises that hint towards the future of the brand. They are litmus tests for the public's reception, intended to generate enthusiasm and buzz about all of the wonderful things that the company is doing. The reality is, though, that when it comes to the production version that company has had to deal with lawyers, laws, production schedules and the bottom line. Suddenly, that quad-turbo V16 and 28" hand polished magnesium wheels go out the window, left behind like the dreams of the designers in favor of something that won't explode the second you turn the key. Outside, the rakish designs, flying buttresses, gaping vents and grills and exotic materials are replaced by stamped steel and toned down to a more suitable design. It's as if the dream dish you spent hours preparing was loaded into the conservative oven, set to boring and baked until all of the passion dried out. At least, that's what is supposed to happen - but apparently no one told the Italians that.

Launched as a show car in 1967 at the Montreal car exposition, what became known as "The Montreal" internally grew even crazier than the original design. Outside the car retained its partially obscured headlights, the sensuous curves and the crazy vent slats in the C-pillar that hint the car could be rear-engined. Bertone styled the original, so it's not much of a surprise that it in large part resembles the also-Gandini styled Miura. But unlike the Miura, the Montreal show car was fitted with a 1600cc 4 cylinder engine popped out of a Giulia. Naturally then, what would be found in the production version? A race-bred 2.6 liter V8 with a 7,000 RPM redline, of course:

Year: 1971
Model: Montreal
Engine: 2.6 liter V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 48,900 km
Price: No Reserve Auction

CLICK FOR DETAILS:1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal

NO RESERVE!!!
EXTREMELY RARE!
BERTONE DESIGNED!
1971 ALFA ROMEO
MONTREAL!
FACTORY 2.6 LITER V8!
FACTORY ZF 5-SPEED MANUAL!
FACTORY LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL!
ITALIAN GT/SPORTS CAR!
TIME CAPSULE!
EXCELLENT INVESTMENT!

Up for auction with NO RESERVE!!! is an extremely rare, Bertone Designed, time capsule, 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal. The car is titled as a 1967, This could have been a simple typo on dmv paperwork or something to do with import smog laws in California when it came to the states in the 1980's? Obviously this car is a 1971 model do to the factory vin number in engine compartment. This car recently came out of a climate controlled private collection where it was lovingly stored. This car is in wonderful, original condition. The paint is nice and shines very well for its age. The chrome and bright work are in great original condition and look great against the bright red. There are a few small cracks in the paint as seen in the pictures. The glass is all original to the car and in great shape with no nicks or cracks. The original Alfa Romeo wheels are in fantastic shape and look almost new. There is no curb rash present and they are extremely clean. There are five total including a full size spare in the trunk as seen in the pictures. The tires have plenty of tread and are in great shape. The interior is in excellent shape for it's age. This car has the option of leather seats, extremely rare option to find on a Montreal. The seats are in great condition with only one small hole on the side of each as seen in the pictures. They have adjustable headrests with wood accents. The dash has one crack as seen in pic, very clean for its age. All the gauges work although the speedo can jump a bit every once in a while. The current mileage reads 48,900 KM and is believed to be original. The fuel gauge works and appears accurate. The temperature gauge works and appears accurate. The tach works and appears accurate. The dash lights work as does the emergency brake light. These gauges are all in Italian and the speedo is in km/hr. The headlights work, the high beams work, the brake lights work. The emergency brake works. Power windows work. The power windows go up and down freely but could probably use some light lubrication. The heater and defroster appear to work as does the horn. The carpet is clean. The headliner is in excellent shape and original to the car. The door panels are in great shape for their age and original to the car. The factory 2.6 Liter Dual Overhead-Cam V8 sounds simply amazing! The factory fuel injection works great with no problems and the engine is extremely clean and well kept as you can see in the pictures. When you rev it and hear the superb sound you understand why Alfa Romeo's derive such passion and love from their owners and car aficionado's the world over. The factory ZF 5-Speed manual transmission shifts great and goes through all the gears smoothly with no binding or sticking. The factory limited slip differential works great with no issues. Brand new battery installed with no charging issues at all. The factory double wishbone suspension with coil springs makes this car ride great! It is smooth going down the road and is a very comfortable ride. The manual steering works well and really gives the driver a feeling of being connected to the road and increases the driving experience exponentially. The power brakes work great and the car stops in a straight line with no pulling to either side. This car is a complete joy to drive and beyond that is is extremely comfortable for a classic Italian sports car. The Bertone design is unmistakable and timeless. From 1970-1977 there were 3917 Alfa Romeo Montreals produced and a very small number of those still survive today, let alone being found in the U.S. This is an excellent investment/collector car as recently prices are starting to rise dramatically as these hidden gems are found. This is not a car you can just go out and find. They very rarely come on the market in such original, survivor condition. Most people have never even seen one in person. Earlier this year at the Gooding Auction a 1971 Alfa Romeo sold for $176,000.00. That car was in restored condition and was not equipped with factory leather. It also has a later production # by about 500 units. The previous year a 1973 sold for $99000.00. Also with a later production #. This shows a 56% increase in 12 months. This car can be enjoyed as a survivor or do a full restoration on the car and when you're finished you will have a $200,000.00 piece of art that you can drive. The original owners manual is included. This is your chance. If you have ever wanted an up and coming Italian sports car that is a phenomenal investment that you can drive and enjoy at the same time. This is the car. This car belongs in a private collection when it can be treated with the same love an enjoyment that the previous owner had. It is truly an Italian Masterpiece and sure to go up in value everyday you own it. The classic car market is on fire right now and is a better investment than stocks or laughable bank interest for an excellent rate of return on your money. This car is being sold at NO RESERVE!!!

TERMS OF SALE:

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS: 510-299-3031

SERIOUS BUYERS ONLY PLEASE.

THERE IS NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.

THIS VEHICLE IS SOLD AS-IS, WHERE-IS.

I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO END THE AUCTION AT ANY TIME.

PLEASE DO NOT BID IF YOU NEED TO GET A LOAN TO COMPLETE THIS TRANSACTION.

NO DEPOSIT IS NECESSARY BUT FULL PAYMENT IS DUE WITHIN THREE (3) DAYS OF THE AUCTION END.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET AN INSPECTION PLEASE DO SO BEFORE YOU BID AND BEFORE THE END OF THE AUCTION.

I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH ORGANIZING AN INSPECTION.

I HAVE DONE MY BEST TO COMPLETELY AND ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THIS CAR.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE DESCRIPTION COMPLETELY, LOOK AT ALL THE PICTURES AND SEE THE CAR IN PERSON IF POSSIBLE BEFORE BIDDING.

SHIPPING IS THE BUYERS RESPONSIBILITY.

I AM HAPPY TO HELP WITH SHIPPING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD SO INTERNATIONAL BUYERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BID!

I AM LOCATED ONLY MINUTES FROM THE PORT OF OAKLAND AND CAN ARRANGE A DROP-OFF!

ZERO (0) FEEDBACK BIDDERS PLEASE CONTACT ME BEFORE YOU BID.

PLEASE LOOK AT MY FEEDBACK AND BID WITH CONFIDENCE.

The Montreal is an interesting car for sure; while not as pretty as the Miura, it's certainly a lot easier to live with in many ways. You also won't pay the cost of entry, either; while the seller notes that top condition Montreals have soared in recent years towards $200,000, the reality is that most examples fall far below $100,000 today. There's a definite upward trend in their value befitting their unique nature - let's not forget this was Alfa Romeo's halo car of the day - but they're still quite affordable compared to other Italian exotics from the same period. Hagerty places a condition 2 Montreal right around $65,000 - conveniently, exactly where the opening bid is on this no-reserve auction. I'd wager this car is probably appropriately priced there or maybe a few thousand dollars higher in today's market, but not much more. While they're almost certain to increase in value over the next few years, they're not there yet - meaning now is a prime opportunity to jump in to these classic V8 Alfas.

-Carter