1960 Fiat 500 Jolly Ghia Goes Under the Hammer

Produced between 1958 and 1966, the Fiat Jolly vehicles (also knows as La Spiaggina or the beach-ette) were used by many celebrities of the era, including Aristotle Onassis, Yul Brynner and the late Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli, as beach and estate cars, golf carts and yacht tenders.

The cars came with cut-down sides, chromed pipe-work, wicker seats and festive surrey top, while color choices included coral, pink, pale yellow, sky blue and white.

Now, one of only about 100 surviving examples, is set to be auctioned at the upcoming RM Auctions sale at Amelia Island on March 12. The example in question is a 1960 Fiat 500 Jolly Ghia, boasting a rear-mounted 479 cc two-cylinder engine with overhead valves, developing 16.5 bhp.

The car weighs some 1,050 lbs (476 kg) and can reach 56 mph (90 km/h) while achieving a fuel economy of 52 mpg. The car is an original U.S.-delivery example offered from a private automobile collection. It retains the original drivetrain, sheet-metal, wicker seats and other items. A full, no-expense-spared restoration was completed in the fall of 2009, with the body refinished in the original Coral hue.

“Authentically presented and reportedly in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition, this pristine example is a unique, investment-grade Jolly with a sheer “fun factor” unlike any other classic car available today,” a statement from RM Auctions reads.

“Priced at nearly twice as much as a standard Fiat 500, the Jolly was quite a costly fashion accessory, helping to explain the remarkably low mileage exhibited by the majority of survivors. Between 1958 and 1961, the Jolly was briefly imported to the United States. While never a high-volume product, an estimated 650 examples were produced between 1958 and 1966, with just 100 believed to remain today.”