Fiat’s 500 and 600 of the 1950s were the brilliant successors to the pre-and post-war 500 Topolino. As the Topolino put hundreds of thousands of Italians into cars for the first time before World War II, the 500 and 600 were the cars that put nearly all the rest of the country onto four-wheels in the years leading into and during “Il Boom,” the economic miracle that swept Italy from the mid-fifties through the sixties.

The Fiat Jolly is a delightful, silly and eccentric vehicle. Employed specifically as land transport for docked yachts, courtesy transport for luxury resorts and golf courses, and traveling inside the gates of great estates, they were the most humble of cars elevated for the use of the best-heeled elites. If you bought a Jolly, it was clear you could afford to run a car with no practical purpose. Sedans were converted into Jollys at the workshop of Carrozzeria Ghia by removing the roof and doors, and adding wicker seats and a fringed surrey top. While most of the conversion was reductive, the long, tubular side handrails and chrome fender accents added a bit of dash to the little Fiats. It is reported that approximately 700 were produced between 1960 and 1965, and they were briefly sold in the United States.

This 1959 Jolly is the 479-cc, two-cylinder 500 version that puts out 16.5 horsepower 500 and is matched to a four-speed manual transmission. It is nicely presented in white with red-and-striped striped top and striped seat covers that help protect the wicker. It has a black rubber floor mat and the engine compartment and forward stowage area appear solid and tidy throughout. There are no frills, just plenty of driving thrills. Conversation and fun abounds when taking your Jolly out for a drive; this delightful platform may be perfect for your beach house or as a yacht tender.