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.