Italy · Original three-speed Italian series · 1932–1934; Balilla family continued to 1937

Fiat 508 Balilla 3 Marce Berlina

The first Balilla put hydraulic brakes and a useful four-cylinder engine into a small saloon intended to bring motoring within reach of more Italian families.

Affordable family saloon

Exterior · Photo shows Commons identifies the 1932 museum car as a Fiat 508 Balilla 3M. The closed Berlina body and three-speed-era model label match the profile; current restoration condition is not treated as factory evidence.. exact year, 508 Balilla 3M model and Berlina body
1932 Fiat 508 Balilla 3M Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile Torino 03.jpg · Rahil Rupawala · CC BY 2.0

A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

Fiat introduced the 508 Balilla at the Milan Motor Show in April 1932 after years of work on lighter, less thirsty and more affordable cars. The first three-speed range included a two-door Berlina as well as Torpedo and Spider bodies. It cost 10,800 lire at launch—still a serious sum, but attractive enough to help turn the compact 508 into Fiat's most popular vehicle to that point. By the end of 1934, 41,395 had been sold.

Look a little closer.

Its nickname, Balilla, became much better known than the factory number 508.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

Small-car thinking before the Topolino

Fiat's heritage account places the 508 at the end of a development path begun in the early 1920s: make a car lighter, use less fuel and reduce the purchase price. The Balilla therefore belongs to the same long affordability effort that later produced the 500 Topolino, rather than being a one-off cheap model.

Source: Stellantis Heritage Hub · Fiat 508 Balilla history ↗

The 1932 car is not every Balilla

The original 508 used a three-speed gearbox and a two-door Berlina body. Four-speed and four-door models followed, along with faster sports and military versions. Keeping the launch car narrow prevents the 20-CV saloon from borrowing later bodies, ratios or higher-output specifications.

Source: Carabinieri · Dalla Balilla ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.

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