We haven't gotten a chance to stick our noses into this one yet, but based on the photography and the subject alone it's worth a peek. At 208 pages it's hefty for a book dedicated to one car, but we're betting a healthy amount of that is dedicated to car pr0n.

THE DREAM CAR!

Alfa Romeo Montreal – The dream car that came true
by Bruce Taylor

With its stylish Bertone coachwork and race-bred 200bhp V8 engine, the iconic Alfa Romeo Montreal is one of the most stunning series production automobiles of the twentieth century. Almost 4000 Montreals were built, and today sound cars are still readily available at very affordable prices. Now the spirit of the car has been captured in a comprehensive pictorial tribute book from Veloce Publishing. The new book is a visual testimonial to a powerful and beautiful coupé that was born as a futuristic concept and transformed into a ‘dream car come true'. This beautifully illustrated 208-page hardback volume is available now from bookshops or from www.velocebooks.com. In a portfolio of over 575 illustrations, it paints a unique and detailed graphic portrait of this elegant and powerful classic GT, revealing why it is immensely enjoyable to drive and turns heads wherever it appears.

The author, Bruce Taylor, says: "Veloce Publishing have made a splendid job of this unique pictorial tribute to the exotic Alfa Romeo Montreal. This beautiful new book portrays every aspect of the car, and shows discerning enthusiasts that the Montreal is a hidden treasure that is well worth seeking."

The Alfa Romeo Montreal was introduced in concept form at the 1967 World's Fair, held in — wait for it — Montreal Canada. The production version arrived three years later at the Geneva Auto Show, bearing a strong resemblance to the Expo show car, but on a shorter wheelbase, and with numerous detail changes.

The Bertone-styled car was eye-catching, with louvered headlamp covers, non-functional NACA duct hood, and sleek, coupe bodywork. The mod horizontal slits behind the doors gave the appearance that the car was mid-engined, but the motivating force was under that long hood. That force was provided by a 2593-cc four-cam, aluminum-block V-8 with Spica mechanical fuel injection. All this was good for 230 SAE horsepower, and complemented the neat handling of the Giulia GTV-based chassis, making the Montreal an accomplished grand tourer, with a top speed of nearly 140mph.

But all that came at a price — $8,050 — and at a time when gas prices were spiraling upward, and the economy was tanking. Sound familiar? The Montreal soldiered on, for a total production of 3,917, until the model was discontinued in 1977.

This Montreal has slipped across the border and into Massachusetts, where it is currently rusting in peace. The tin worm has not been kind to this Italian Stallion and the interior isn't much better. But it's good looking, semi-historic, and rare, and that price isn't a lot of cheddar for a V8-powered Italian sportscar with a heritage like this. Now, the seller doesn't offer a By-It-Now price on the car, and who knows what that reserve is, but it's sitting at just under $4,200 so maybe you could swoop in and snipe it for just beans. Even with the rust, and the whole being in Massachusetts thing, it'd look pretty awesome sitting in your garage.

So, Nice Price for an Italian/Canadian immigrant? Or Crack Pipe for a car that should have stayed in the old country?

You decide!

eBay, or go here if the ad scompare.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip

We've never actually seen The Marseille Contract, a 1974 thriller starring Michael Caine. Nevertheless, we have now seen this playful car chase starring Caine, Maureen Kerwin, an Alfa Romeo Montreal, a 911 and a DS. And what more could one want from a Thursday afternoon? – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
Yes, Johnny! Alfa Romeos in Burbank [Internal]

The Alfa Montreal Website [alfamontreal.info]

Related:
Alfa Romeo 166 Spotted in NYC; More Alfa Romeo [Internal]

Those nutty French Canadians are at it again. Montreal is apparently one of the only places in North American where you can't buy a new car on the weekend. The regulation is part of an agreement between all new car dealers aimed at reducing work hours for dealership employees. Claude Leclair, owner of Pie IX Dodge Chrysler (great name), decided to take a stand and has been selling cars for two straight weekends. This resulted not only in protests and phone jamming, but also in someone chunking a piece of ice at the head of the dealership's manager. Despite the protests, Leclair vows to stay open and, understandably, has the support of DCX Canada. We imagine when he starts moving cars the other dealers will follow. – Matt Hardigree

Protests Won't Make Us Close Shop, Dealer Says [The Gazette]

Related:
Texas Car Dealer Slashes Prices, Customers [Internal]

The Champ Car race in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec hasn't been doing so well, with attendance at the previous Montreal race dropping to around 110,000, nearly a third of a similar F1 weekend. So what are those nutty Canadians doing to make the series more interesting? Adding Cirque Du Soleil (and moving it to the resort town of Mont-Tremblant outside of Montreal). For three days the Cirque performers will be making racing fans uncomfortable with their brightly painted bodies and strange body contortions. The only plus side to this is the possibility of someone getting video of Paul Tracy in a bright yellow unitard juggling in some guy's lap. – Matt Hardigree

Cirque du Soleil a Champ Car Partner [TSN.ca]

Related:
Question of the Day: What Will Happen To Champ Car? [Internal]

If you needed another reason to go to the Montreal auto show next month, other than for the proximity to a snack pack of Tim Horton's Sour Cream Glazed "Timbits" donut holes, try the 2007 Plethore by HHT Locus Technologies. Dubbed the "Quebec Bomb," much like Tim Horton's donuts, the Plethore is a hand-built, Chevrolet V8-powered supercar built entirely of carbon fiber and weighing less than 2,500 lbs. The 8.2-liter V8 produces 750 horsepower (and up to 1,300 hp, optionally) hooked to a Tremec six-speed manual. Autoblog did a bunch of calculations, and determined that in top engine tune, the Plethore's poundage per horsepower ratio is just over that of an F1 car. Sacre bleu! – Mike Spinelli

Plethore supercar by HHT Locus Technologies to debut in Montreal [Autoblog]

Related:
Australia's Joss SuperCar Goes Arse Over Tit [internal]

First they spring Celine Dion on us, and now this bit of disturbing news out of Quebec. While here in the United States we have a 67% stolen-vehicle recovery rate, in Canada, it's a staggering 2%. And Canadian gangs of thieves are targeting American-registered vehicles, re-vinning them, and in many cases, selling the cars right back into the USA or shipping them overseas. It's an especially big problem in Montreal due to the tourist industry, and in some cases, the cars are actually ordered by overseas customers. Jean-Claude, un jeune Range Rover, merci?

Canadian theft rings scooping up American cars [Deseret News]

Related:
Dodge Charger Prime Theft Target? [Internal]