FIAT mod. 508

Presented in 1932 and soon nicknamed the Balilla after the lad who sparked off the insurrection that drove the Austrians from Genoa in 1796, the 508 was Italy’s favorite runabout: modern with its hydraulic brakes, yet powered by a simple, less than one litre, four-cylinder, side-valve engine with a three-speed gearbox. The four-seater, two-door saloon cost 10,800 lire. There was also a torpedo and a spider model, which were subsequently joined by a sports version. The model was enormously successful owing to its ruggedness, low running cost and brilliant performance. More than 113,000 had been made when the last 508 rolled off the assembly line in 1937.