Expensive toys
A Fiat that arouses the desire of the very rich, that must be one from the 1950s. At the time, Ghia built a hip, open 500 variant for Fiat, the 500 Jolly. At the time it was a must-have for VIPs, now the car is a rare investment object.
In the world of the super rich, a lot revolves around the little things. For details with which the wealthy show how tastefully they can display their wealth. The right clock on the wrist tanned in the right shade. The bag that perfectly matches the designer dress, with the right subtly shiny logos. The deck of Burmese teak on your yacht, which is just a little longer than your neighbour’s hundred-footer. Well, you understand where we want to go.
Fiat 500 Jolly for between gangway and restaurant
That attitude of ‘I have something you don’t have’ must also have been the basis for the birth of the Fiat 500 Jolly. According to the origin legend of this homeless dwarf, Fiat boss Giovanni Agnelli himself decided that it was very inconvenient to have to walk all the way from the gangway of his sailing yacht Agneta to the nearest bar, hotel or his car – even if the latter was rejected by the staff. drove to the end of the pier. Anyway, that could and should of course be more chic. Born in 1921, Agnelli, the scion of one of Italy’s wealthiest families and then vice president of the Fiat group, commissioned coachbuilder Ghia to build a small ‘beach car’ in which he could indulge his laziness in style. The car had to fit on board Agnelli’s yacht, of course. That was ‘only’ 82 feet long, so Ghia chose the Nuovo 500 as the basis for his new creation.
The 1957 Fiat 500 not only made Italy mobile by storm, but as a design icon it remains one of the world’s most famous cars to this day. Ghia wanted to make a car that was as light as possible, which Agnelli’s staff could easily lift off the ship. In addition, the model had to be a statement, of course. One with which the owner could adequately support his image. So the saw went into the Nuovo 500. The roof disappeared, as did the doors. The height of the windshield was halved, parts of the rear screens were sawn away.
Within four months, Ghia presented the Jolly, a candy on wheels, the ultimate fair-weather car. Where the Jolly was unloaded, the sun immediately shone. So a roof was not necessary; Instead, Ghia mounted a cozy parasol on wafer-thin bars. The Jolly also did not get windshield wipers, although copies with them were reportedly produced in 1958 and ’59. And then those chairs: sun, sea and beach naturally need wicker chairs. Ideal for taking a seat with wet swimwear for the short ride from the beach to the nearest catering establishment.
Naturally, owners of well-filled wallets quickly became so interested in Agnelli’s little car that Fiat decided to take it into production in a limited edition. After all, friends of the big Fiat boss will not disappoint you. For example, the immensely wealthy shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis immediately ordered three Jollys. But the American jet set also embraced Fiat’s small flannel car. Yul Brynner, John Wayne, Mae West, even Princess Gracia of Monaco and President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered one – anyone in the late 1950s who was someone in showbiz, or simply had a lot of money, bought a Fiat Jolly. The target group didn’t care much that the car was almost twice as expensive in the United States as a regular Fiat 500. Or that it cost more on that side of the Atlantic than a Volkswagen Beetle. Everyone wanted one to be able to make short trips in open comfort, sitting on the wicker chairs.
500 Jolly is life size toy car
What about now, half a century later? Well, the Jolly was of course a very expensive hobby car; neatly screwed together and cute, but still … The car now mainly appeals to the greed of collectors; in the end it is a life-sized toy car. The wicker seats are anything but comfortable and are definitely not suitable for longer journeys. Thanks to the half windshield, the driving wind blows full in your face and through the openings where the doors should be, a hurricane wind pulls at your bath towel. A few hundred meters is enough to get a good impression of the Fiat 500 Jolly. If you want to drive further, take a real car. On the other hand: you can’t drive up to your favorite beach bar much cooler than with a Jolly. After all, you’re driving a classic rich man’s statement. In addition, it is almost certain that no one will drive up the boulevard in the same car. And with that, the open-air Fiat is still what it was in its heyday: an exclusive and very expensive toy.
Incidentally, there will soon be a nice modern alternative to the Jolly from Fiat in the form of the new electric Topolino. Would you soon see them in the marinas of the jet set?
This story was previously published in AutoWeek Classics 06 2013.
Technical data
engine 2-cyl. in-line, air-cooled, Weber carburettor
Engine capacity 499 cc
max. assets 13.2 kW/18 hp at 4,600 rpm
max. couple 30 Nm at 3,000 rpm
Top speed 100km/h
Drive front wheels
Brakes v/a drum brakes
Suspension cross arms, front with leaf springs, rear with coil springs
Consumption avg. approx. 5 l/100 km
Empty weight 520kg
Dim. l/w/h 2,970/1,320/approx. 1,200mm
Wheelbase 1.84m
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl