Chassis no. 100595511

633-cc 28.5-hp, OHV four-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with transverse leaf spring, radius-arm rear suspension with coil springs and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 78.74-inches

When the chairman of Fiat wants a new yacht tender, he needs only to turn to his designers and engineers to achieve it. The result of Gianni Agnelli’s desire, offered to the public in limited numbers beginning in 1957, was the “Jolly de Plage,” or Joker of the Beach. Based upon the standard Fiat 500; the Jolly boasted reinforced open bodywork with a jaunty surrey top, no doors and wicker seats that would have been at home on one’s patio. It was built by Ghia, the noted Italian coachbuilder with whom Fiat enjoyed a long relationship, and so it boasted excellent build quality and an appropriately high price tag, more than double the cost of a standard 500. For much of the 1960s, the Jolly was the car in which to be seen at European resorts, favored by members of the space age jet set.

The example presented here is reported to have undergone a complete concours level restoration done to the highest standards. Restored by microcar expert Theodore Sahli of Theo’s Microcars in Costa Mesa, California, this rare Jolly 600 was meticulously been worked over including a complete reassembly of its body and frame with a superb Salmon finish.

Notably, we are informed this Jolly is probably one of the most correct examples in existence with incredible detail paid throughout. It’s badging, trim pieces, wiring, and painted components of its engine bay are all executed to the level of what they had been when the car was conceived by the Ghia coachbuilders. With simple appointments, the Jolly features properly coated wicker seats and a cloth top and case. The coveted 600-cc version of the Jolly family has become dramatically more collectible in recent years and to find one of this caliber is truly a great find and a rare opportunity.