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 most well-heeled. 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, and 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.

The 600 is the “big block” four-cylinder version of the Jolly, as contrasted with the more often encountered 479-cubic centimeter, two-cylinder 500. Relatively speaking, the almost 37 horsepower of the 600 made it far more useful for trips further away from the dock or golf club than the “mighty” 16.5 horsepower of the 500. List price of the 600 Jolly in America in 1960 was $1,906, which was more than the sedan or sunroof sedan, at $1,398 and $1,460, respectively. It weighed 84 pounds less than the sedan, thanks to the removal of the roof and the doors and the largely stripped interior with wicker seats.

This charming Fiat Jolly is an original U.S. version, as can be identified by the larger headlights found only on those 600s shipped stateside. It was delivered through Fiat importer Roosevelt Motors in 1959, with the speedometer in miles and sealed-beam headlamps. Thirty-two such Jollys saw service as taxis between 1958 and 1962 on Catalina Island, off Los Angeles, on which cars are otherwise forbidden. It is believed that this car was sold in Los Gatos or San Francisco, California.

Following a period of disuse, a restoration began in 2008. This comprehensive restoration lasted two years and was done to strict original specifications by the owner, one of the leading authorities on the model in America. Completely disassembled, all repairs were made to the body and floors before the shell was cleaned, rust proofed, sealed, and undercoated. The Jolly wears a period Eggshell Blue color in DuPont’s two-stage CromaOne paint. All bright trim was re-done, a new roof and seats were fitted, and the engine and transaxle were rebuilt, as part of the extensive mechanical work performed. For added security in running, a coolant catch tank was fitted, which was the only departure from original specification.

This lovely Jolly was rewarded with a First in Class at the 2010 Palo Alto Concours and a Second at the 2010 Concorso Italiano, along with several class wins and appearances at other concours events. Today, it remains in excellent condition and can stand among the best Jollys extant.