55 bhp, 1,089 cc Fiat four-cylinder, dual-ratio manual transmission with eight forward and two reverse speeds, rear live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Wheelbase: 95.3 in. Fiat’s 508C, or Balilla 1100, produced from 1937 to 1938, was such an extremely successful model that a few still remain on the road some 75 years later. Many found themselves reborn after World War II as “Competition Specials,” shedding their pedestrian factory bodywork in favor of more dramatic panels. The car offered here is one such machine, with a unique and interesting story unlike any other. Assembled early in 1938 as a standard four-door sedan, this 508C was sold new in Austria and survived the war in good condition. Incredibly, the original owner’s manual, all of its original post-war registration, and ownership records also survived, along with numerous period photographs, sales brochures, and other documents and records; all of which still accompany the car.
