Ghia's 1933 insect-tail body on the 508S made it the small Fiat that could actually be raced, unlike the family sedan it was based on.
Lead trim: 508 S Spider Sport 1.0 four (1933–1934; 30 hp at 4,000 rpm) · up to 36 hp
Fiat 508 Balilla508-S · 1933–1937
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Fiat 508 Balilla yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactGhia's 1933 insect-tail body on the 508S made it the small Fiat that could actually be raced, unlike the family sedan it was based on.
The 508 Spider Sport, a lower, sleeker two-seater with a distinctive "insect tail" designed in 1933 by Ghia, had a special carburettor and a 7:1 compression ratio for a listed 30 hp at 4,000 rpm and a top speed of 110 km/h (69 mph), with a different final drive; in 1934 it received the four-speed gearbox and a special overhead-valve engine (other 508s kept side valves) and other enhancements that pushed the power to 36 hp. The 508S "Coppa d'Oro" (Gold Cup) is especially prized by collectors, and the 1935 Coupé ("Berlinetta Mille Miglia", 508 CS) shared the more powerful 108CS engine, but its greater weight meant competition success proved elusive. Sport versions were also built by Fiat's affiliates in Germany, France and Czechoslovakia (the Walter Junior SS).
Collectors Spotted in the Fiat 508 Balilla Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Fiat 508 Balilla yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 508 S Spider Sport 1.0 four (1933–1934; 30 hp at 4,000 rpm) | 1933–1934 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 30 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| 508 S Sport 1.0 overhead-valve four (1934–1937; 36 hp) | 1934–1937 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 36 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Poland kept building this generation as its own model, badged 508 II, after Fiat had already moved on at home.
Ghia's 1933 insect-tail body on the 508S made it the small Fiat that could actually be raced, unlike the family sedan it was based on.
Named for a Genoese boy who threw the first stone against Austrian troops in 1746, not for Mussolini's youth corps.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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