Seidner's Collision Center - Riverside

The Fiat Jolly Made People Happy

One of the ultimate “getabouts” during the late 1950s and early 1960s was a small vehicle called the Fiat Jolly. The “beach buggy” could often be found cruising around Monaco, Cannes and other yachting centers in the Mediterranean. They were also used as taxis on Catalina Island, located off the coast of Los Angeles, California.

We love old cars and their histories, so here is a fun blog from Seidner's Collision Center - Riverside. We won't likely encounter any Fiat Jollys in Riverside, CA, but we still love the story of this iconic vehicle.

The chairman of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, a famous Italian playboy, wanted a “land tender” for his ketch sailing vessel. He asked the well-known Italian auto company Ghia Carrozzeria to make some modifications to a Fiat 500. They cut off the top, removed the doors, installed a folding surrey canopy top and put in wicker seats. Because so much was removed from the car, chrome exterior pipes were needed for support, and also added style.   

The result was the Jolly de Plage, which translates to the Joker of the Beach in Italian. In other languages, jolly means something light, fun and pretty. It was an instant hit!

Ghia, now owned by Ford Motor Company, converted about 400 Fiat vehicles, both the 500 and 600 models, into Jollys. Just under 10-feet long, the 500 series had a two-cylinder engine and could go 55 mph; the 600 series was slightly larger with a four-cylinder engine and was able to reach 60 mph. In addition to white, the vehicles were painted in beautiful shades of coral, pale yellow, sky blue and pink.

Designed as a luxury car for wealthy Europeans and Americans, the Jolly was used as a yacht tender, a golf cart, as well as to drive around estates.

Aristotle Onassis reportedly owned more than one in addition to Yul Brynner, Mary Pickford, Grace Kelly and Mae West. The car was also made famous in the United States by the hit television show in the 1970s, Fantasy Island. United States President Lyndon Johnson drove a Jolly around his own Texas Ranch.

At the cost of $1,760, compared to $998 for a standard Fiat 500, many of the pricey creations were made to order. A less expensive version was also available, which included regular bumpers and solid plastic seats embossed with a wicker pattern.

Jollys have now become collectors’ items and less than 100 are still in existence today, most of them with very low miles. In January 2015, a 1960 Fiat Jolly sold for $170,500 at a car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Sources: Fiat, Wikipedia and TIME