This misunderstood supercar was never sold in the U.S., but Jay Leno fainlly gets behind the wheel of one.
Jay Leno has probably driven more cars in his life than most Americans have even heard of, but one car that he has never driven is the Alfa Romeo Montreal. Until now. The latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage features a 1971 Romeo Montreal allowing Leno to finally drive this beautiful Italian sports car that he refers to as a "misunderstood supercar."
In its time, the Montreal cost more than a Porsche 911 and Jaguar E-Type, and fewer than 4,000 of these 2+2 coupes were ever built from 1970 through 1977. None of these Alfa Romeos were ever sold in North America, which Leno says is "America's loss," but fortunately, a small number have made their way to the U.S. thanks to the 25-year import rule. And Leno couldn't stop gushing about this car.
The Montreal was designed by Marcello Ganbini from the Italian design firm, Bertone, and he was also responsible for the styling of the Lamborghini Countach and Miura. The similarities are obvious between the Alfa Romeo Montreal and the Lamborghini Miura especially in the door and rear end design, but this Alfa Romeo really stands out with its louvered headlights, which made our list for the top 10 coolest car with hidden headlights, and the faux NACA duct hood.
At the heart of this 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal is a sophisticated four-cam V8 engine that lets out a glorious exhaust note sounding more like an American muscle car than an Italian exotic. Check out the video above as Leno checks yet another car off his driven list.
Source: Jay Leno's Garage
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Steven Symes
Steven Symes
