ALFA ROMEO MONTREAL

1970-’77: better late than never

Time was, when a new overseas model made its debut, it used to be common practice to import the first batches into the UK with lefthand steering to meet initial British demand and get the cars visible out on the roads. Such was the case with the earliest examples of the VW Golf GTI, Audi quattro, Amphicar 770, Matra-simca Bagheera, BMW Isetta, Chevrolet Blazer, Peugeot 304, Smart Roadster, Lada Niva, Piaggio Vespa 400, Fiat X1/9, Volvo P1800 and the Alfa Montreal. Unlike the other cars highlighted, though, would-be British Montreal buyers had to wait a frustratingly long three years before Alfa Romeo began to build and import its rangetopping V8 coupé with steering on the right. Anorak fact When imports were officially announced for the UK in late 1971, the Lhdonly Montreal was priced at an ambitious £5077 – more than a Jaguar E-type V12 or a Porsche 911 – quickly rising to £5549 just a few months later, and climbing to a peak of £6999 by the time that the right-handdrive models eventually arrived in late ’74