1959 Fiat 600 Jolly
32 of the 200 Jolly’s produced were used as taxis in Los Angeles.
All Jolly’s that were made were custom for their buyer.
Bar on the back seat in place to make up for the lack of seat belts.
This car has been in two exhibitions in Audrain’s History. First, it was in Classic and Fantastic: Automobiles 1945-1965. And most recently it was in the exhibit Sweet Rides | Summer Fun. It was shown in this exhibition as it is the ultimate car for any person who can fit in it and has the proper weather.
The Fiat 500 and 600 were mini cars, or city cars, produced by Fiat from 1955 to 1969. It was the first-ever rear-engine Fiat, with over 2.5 million units sold in the span of its production. The 600 was so popular that Fiat released two other variations within one year of initial production: the 600 soft-top and the 600 Multipla – a 6-seater microvan. Jolly cars cost nearly double what a typical 600 did back then and were made primarily to be stored on the fronts of yachts, then lowered onto the beaches when island hopping in the Mediterranean.
In 1958, Fiat shipped approximately two hundred 600s to the Italian design house Ghia. 32 of the completed Jolly cars were used as taxis on the island of Catalina off the coast of Los Angeles from 1958 to 1962. The remainder were privately owned by celebrities including Aristotle Onassis, and President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was designed to fit four passengers and their luggage, with the ability to effortlessly cruise through the narrow and often treacherous Italian streets at a speed of no less than 85 km/hr.
There are only an estimated 100 Jolly cars in existence today. Each Jolly is unique, as they were custom-made. Every example featured wicker seats, eliminated doors, and a handrail along the perimeter to make up for the lack of seatbelts.
A Fiat 600 Jolly, the ultimate beach car, made a memorable appearance with Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K. in 2012 on the Netflix series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. And more recently, in Audrain’s Mansions & Motorcars Season 5, Episode 1, at Anglesea, Jay Leno driving this fun little car.
Specifications:
Engine: Inline-4
Displacement: 33.45 cu. in./.63 L
Horsepower: 28 hp at 4,800 RPM
Transmission: 4-speed manual