Fiat 1500 B Cabriolet Balbo - 1939

Launched on the 9^th of November 1935 at the Milan International Motor Show, the Fiat 1500 was a particularly innovative car.

Indeed, its design was the talk of the town with its inclined front grille aimed at reducing the aerodynamic drag of the car. Such an approach was truly innovative in the thirties. Fiat had actually invested in a full-scale wind tunnel and wanted aerodynamics to be one of the key features to be taken into account when designing a new car. The 1500 inaugurated Fiat’s wind tunnel. Such process was also used by Fiat for its 1.100 and 2.800 models.

Maybe such an approach was too radical for the times, because in 1940, Fiat decided to replace the 1500 front grille with a much more conventional yet trendier vertical grille.

Another innovation, invisible this time, was the 1500’s ladder chassis dotted with independent front suspension, another first for the brand. The 1.500 was powered by the 45 hp in-house 1,493cc OHV six-cylinder engine. It was equipped with a four-speed gearbox allowing a top speed of 113 km/h.

 A Fiat with a rich career that has seen many variations

Fiat soon decided to complete its offer by adding a cabriolet version to the sedan. Then, shortly before the WW2, in 1939, Fiat launched a new series of cars that were actually barely different from the original 1500. Called the 1500 B, this new version was produced in 9,906 units and benefited from more powerful brakes. Then came the 1500 C version in 1940 with new line and a more imposing and, as we have seen before, much straighter grille. Finally came the 1500 D in 1948, with an engine power increased to 47hp, a new steering and new front suspensions.

A total of 25,650 examples of the 1500 have been produced over the years.

At the time, it was common practice for major manufacturers, especially the Italian ones, to offer bare chassis to independent coachbuilders. The 1.500 was no exception to the rule.

One of the features of the car was a dream for the coachbuilders: the 1500’s engine remained for a long time among the smallest six-cylinder engines in the world, which was a major asset when designing new bodywork.

The ANNA LISA Art On Wheels collection is very proud to include a superb and probably a one-off Fiat 1500 B made by Carrozzeria Italiana di Torino, also known as Balbo in 1939. Alfonso Balbo created his workshop in 1914 and quickly became famous for his hard tops that allowed to visually transform torpedo type bodies into interior driving coupes.

Our Fiat was produced in August 1939, just a few weeks before the outbreak of the WW2. It is characteristic of the Balbo productions of the 1940s, with US aesthetics inspired lines such as its very pronounced grille, its hyper-stylized fenders and the adoption of spats at the rear.

It should be noted that this American influence was very fashionable at the time and our car is actually quite close to some Viotti designs based on Fiat 1500s.

Later on, Balbo produced other Fiat 1500s with special bodywork in both cabriolet and coupé versions, particularly after the war. Balbo shut down in 1954 at a time when the era of independent coachbuilders was gradually giving way to more standardised cars.

Our car had only a handful of Italian owners before being restored at great expense in the early 1990s, like most of the cars in our collection. After years of lying dormant in a dry place, the rediscovery of this car was a rare moment of emotion.

The car now wears a superb patina. It needs to be restarted, which should be an easy task before being driven again, either during rallies or to be presented in the World’s greatest concourses.