Gianni Agnelli's Fiat 600 Jolly Car Almost Auctioned

As weird as it may sound, a vehicle that once belonged to none other than Gianni Agnelli, the richest man in modern Italian history, was about to go under the hammer at the recent Monaco auction by Bonhams. However, the vehicle in question - a 1959 Fiat 600 Jolly beach car - has been withdrawn before anybody could place a bid for it.

The car that belonged to the founder and owner of Fiat, had attracted a pre-sale estimate of EUR25,000 - EUR35,000 (or up to $50,000), before its withdrawal from the auction block.

The Agnellis kept the Jolly until 1960 and the car reportedly had only four owners when it was purchased by the current vendor at Brook's Monaco auction in May 1998 with fewer than 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) recorded.

It is believed that for much of the intervening period the car was resident in California. Today a total of circa 32,000 kilometers (19,884 miles) is displayed on the odometer and the Jolly is described as in generally excellent condition, benefiting from an engine rebuild carried out by Kensington Car Care in London only 800 kilometers ago. The car was to be offered with Fiat Club letter of authentication, old Italian libretto and UK Swansea V5 registration document.

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, as leisure transport, thus confirming its owner's status as someone who could afford a car 'just for fun'.