The In 1975 Carlo Chiti's team at Autodelta fitted a 3-litre 340 bhp version of the Montreal engine to two special light-alloy Alfetta GTV shells. Described at the time as an Alfetta GT3000, this hybrid car has been referred to as a GTV8 after the appearance of the GTV6. One of these cars was entered in the rally of Elecar, Piacenza, Italy, in December 1975 but failed to finish due to failure of the gearbox (in spite of its having been strengthened). After further improvements were made for the 1976 session, the car had a few racing successes before the project was abandoned to save costs and the two drivers Jean Claude Andruet and Ballestrieri left the team.
One of these cars was located near Milan and fully restored by Bob van der Sluis in Holland. It has been described by Jos Hugense in the Dutch Alfa Romeo Club publication "Het Klaverblaadje", No. 73, 1996. Ed McDonough's impressions on driving the car at the 1997 SCARB meeting at the Assen circuit are recorded in "Assen Alfas", Auto Italia, No. 19, March 1998. It is believed that the second car was sold to Japan in 1990.
In 1977, on the initiative of Horst Reiff, Alfa Romeo's German distributor in Aachen, a very small number of GTVs were equipped with the Montreal's normal 200 bhp engine. These GTV shells were the regular steel ones and only the bulge on the bonnet betrayed that they were fitted with the V8 engine. This powerful coupé was marketed in Germany as the Alfetta GTV 2.6i V8 for DEM 50,000. 0-100 km/h acceleration for the hybrid vehicle remained as for the Montreal, but the maximum speed was claimed to exceed 230 km/h.
A fine original Alfetta GTV 2.6i V8 is maintained by Stefan Schmölzl in Bavaria, South Germany. These pictures show the engine bay from the side, from the front, and the car in 1992 and in 2000.
Starting with parts from an incomplete original car, Manfred Kopp has completely rebuilt an Alfetta GTV 2.6i V8 which is beautifully finished in metallic champagne colour. This picture shows the engine bay. Manfred maintains an Alfetta GT Club website.
Richard Anderson and Martin Darch are currently making a replica Alfetta GTV 2.6i V8 to compete in the Classic Adelaide and possibly the Targa Tasmania events. Martin would be very pleased to hear from anyone who has original documentary material on this model.