1933 Fiat 508 Balilla

Sold for $128,800 at 2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey.
The factory-bodied 508S Balilla Spider Sport was a new addition to the Fiat catalog for 1934 and came with a Siata-tuned, 995-cubic-centimeter inline-four overhead-valve engine producing 46 horsepower. This particular example is believed to have received its coachwork early into its life by the French coachbuilder Kelsch. It originally wore a standard sedan body and was provided to the company's Spanish office in January 1933. Beneath its bonnet was a side-valve engine with approximately 30 horsepower but is currently equipped with a later-series CS-Type overhead-valve engine paired with a four-speed synchromesh gearbox.

This Fiat wears Rosso Scuderia paint with matching upholstery and a khaki top. There are French-market amber headlamps, French-style instrumentation with Jaeger gauges, and Kelsch badges.

In 2008, this Fiat joined the Oscar Davis Collection and has been rarely toured since that time.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022