1975 Fiat 500 Jolly

At the heart of this Jolly (besides boat loads of fun!) is an upgraded 594 cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine, similar to those used in the standard Fiat 600 and Fiat 126 models. Located behind the rear axle, the vertical-twin engine is paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. Despite its small size, the engine is surprisingly lively, propelling the Jolly with relative ease along the boardwalk. The Jolly does have both hi/low headlight beams and wipers. The front frunk features plenty of storage space with a fuel tank, spare tire, and jack. The rear compartment hides the engine with the hood hidden under a wicker picnic basket. The factory engine is matching to the original car as a 126A 5000.

Highlights:
Cabriolet with Fringed Canvas Top
Wicker Seats
4 Speed Synchronized Manual Transmission
Restored
Rear Picnic Basket

One glance at the Fiat Jolly, and its purpose becomes abundantly clear: it was designed for pure enjoyment. Few cars evoke the spirit of summer beach fun quite like Fiat's iconic Jolly. In its heyday, the Italian coachbuilder Ghia transformed the diminutive Fiat 500 two-door, removing its roof, replacing it with a fringed canvas top, installing quirky wicker seats, and marketing it as the Fiat Jolly. This vehicle was intended to be the perfect beach companion for the world’s most notable playboys, princesses, presidents, and powerbrokers.

Ghia created several trends and memorable designs but the Jolly is the most fun and responsible for iconic status. As the story goes… apparently Gigi Segre was on beach holiday and recognized the taxis of the island didn’t quite fit the Capri scene. He knew a small stylish cabriolet would be better suited for the vibe of beach locales worldwide. So over a glass of wine he started sketching some ideas which included using the abundant Fiat Cinquecento platform. Ghia removed the roof and doors and created "step over" sills for easy access. They replaced standard interior trim with wicker for beachgoers, added a fabric surrey top to shield occupants from the sun, and installed large chrome grab handles for sandy-shoed passengers.