Chassis N. 241105 Belonged to a famous Italian Clergyman One of very few cars allowed to circulate during the WWII curfew Italian Papers The Fiat 508 Balilla has been the very first Italian compact and affordable motorcar. Often paired to the Austin Seven and the Model T the 508 has been the bread-and-butter for many first generation motorists. Debuted in 1932 its production stopped in 1937, where it was replaced the following year by the 508C/1100 Nuova Balilla 1100. Produced for one year only, it was an extremely successful model, which thanks to a bigger engine it was representing Fiat's new less-conservative philosophy. The 508 benefited from the new 1,089cc Tipo 108C, which had overhead valves and could develop 32 hp at 4000 rpm. It was a conventional yet robust unit, whose future variants saw a long and healthy life, which ended in the mid 70ies as the twin cam of the famous 124. Its chassis had elements of the 500 and the 1500, characterized by a center cross section construction and the solid rear axle. Upon its launch in 1937, it was of offered in 4 variants: four-door saloon, soft-top four door saloon, four-door torpedo and the 2 door Cabriolet. This last version was designed by the famed Mario Revelli di Beaumont and was bodied by Viotti in Turin, due to its higher-level position and lower production numbers. The 508C/1100 Nuova Balilla was produced until 1939 in 57.000 units.