1933 Fiat 508 Balilla

The Fiat 'Balilla' was an Italian subcompact automobile produced from 1932 through 1937 with approximately 112,000 examples created during that time. Its compact theme followed a similar formula to the one employed by its predecessor, the Fiat which had ended production in 1929. When FIAT announced the 509 in October of 1924 at the Paris Salon, it was the smallest-ever car they produced, and was, in essence, a scaled-down version of its larger siblings. Despite its small stature, it was surprisingly well-equipped with 12-volt electrics, four-wheel brakes, and an overhead-camshaft engine. Similarly, the Tipo 514 of 1929 used a simpler and more potent 1.5-liter side-valve engine and like the 509, received semi-elliptic springing all round. It had a four-speed gearbox, and four-wheel mechanical brakes; hydraulic brakes were adopted part-way through production. Production of the Tipo 514 ended in 1932 after 36,970 of all types had been built.

The 100.4-inch wheelbase platform of the Fiat 509 was larger than the 88.5-inch platform of the Fiat 508, and its 990cc SOHC inline-four-cylinder engine was slightly smaller than the 995cc side-valve straight-4 powering the 508. Initially, the 508 used a three-speed transmission but in 1934 it gained another gear. The Fiat 508A was built from 1932 to 1934, and the 508B from 1934 to 1937. The vehicles were manufactured not only in Italy, but also in locations as diverse as Germany, France, and even Poland.

The finely-engineered Fiat 508 was given the 'Balilla' nickname after a military hero of the 18th century who was becoming well known again in this era of Italian nationalism.

Amongst the creators of the 508 were Dante Giacosa, Nebbia, Tranquillo Zerb, and Antonio Fessia.

The 995cc engine produced 20 horsepower at 3,500 RPM and stopping power was provided by four-wheel drum brakes. Power rose to 24 bhp at 3,500 RPM by the close of 1933 with top speed increasing from 50 mph (80 km/h) to 53 mph (85 km/h). The body style was initially a two-door 'Berlina' (Saloon) with seating for four. To gain access to the rear seat, the front seat could be slid forwards and the backrests tilted. The upholstery was done in cloth and there were rubber mats. Although this was a compact vehicle, it had several useful amenities including the two windscreen wipers operated via their own electric motor, and windows that could be wound down by turning a crank handle fitted to the door. Accessory items offered to customers included an interior light positioned at the center of the roof, an externally mounted luggage platform at the back, and a dash-mounted rear-view mirror. When the spare tire was ordered, it was positioned on the side of the car between the left-side door and the front wing.

For customers seeking a higher level of quality and sophistication, Fiat offered the 'Lusso' ('de Luxe') version which added finer cloth material for the seats and additional brightwork around the front grille, wheels, door handles, and lights.

A Torpedo and Spider body style arrived in 1933 with the former having four doors, four seats, and offered solely with the 'Lusso' treatment. The seat covers and interior trimmings used colored leather and the door hinges and windscreen pillars were chrome plated. The removable fabric hood could be stored in the storage bag. The Spider Sport was a two-seater with a distinctive tail treatment and wore a design penned by Ghia. Both the early examples of the Torpedo and Spider Sport had the same crash gearbox as the other cars but switched to the four-speed unit in 1934. The engine in the Spider used a special carburetor and a raised compression of 7:1 which brought horsepower to 30 hp at 4,000 RPM. In 1934, its engine received a special overhead valve (the other 508 variants used side valves) and other modifications which brought output to 36 hp.

The 'Spider Sport' had flared wings and the 'Spider Corsa' ('Coppa d'Oro') was devoid of running boards and had a narrow competition body and cycle-type wings.

The 508B version arrived early in 1934 with a slightly more 'aerodynamic' body, a four-speed gearbox, and a 4-door 'Berlina' body style. The 2-door 'Berlina' remained in production for a few more months, exiting production in June of that year. Around that time, the styling of the 4-door body was slightly modified to its grille. The previous vertical grille was now slightly raked in keeping with the design trends of the era.

A Coupe (Berlinetta Aerodinamica) body style, sometimes referred to as the 'Berlinetta Mille Miglia,' was introduced in 1935 and came with the more potent 108CS engine found in the 'Spider Sport.'

A selection of commercial body styles was built on the 508 Balilla platform including a flat-bed trunk and a panel van.

The factory-built 508S vehicles proved very capable, exceptionally nimble, and successful in motorsport competition. Even Enzo Ferrari enlisted a quartet for his Scuderia in 1934 and 1935.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022