One to Buy: Single Ownership 19,000km From New 1959 Fiat 600 Jolly
Alongside Abarth’s high performance conversions, the Jolly beach cars coachbuilt at the Ghia works from 1957 remain arguably the most sought after iteration of Fiat’s ubiquitous 600.
Reputedly the brainchild of soon-to-be Fiat boss and noted playboy, Gianni Agnelli, the Jolly was conceived as a fun and glamorous runabout that could easily be hoisted onto a yacht. In addition, Ghia marketed the Jolly as having been equally at home on the golf course or for hunting expeditions.
Despite a not inconsiderable price and an engine that produced around 12bhp, Ghia managed to shift somewhere in the region of 450 Jollys by the time production came to an end during 1966. In addition to Agnelli, other high profile customers included Aristotle Onassis, Grace Kelly, John Wayne and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Set to go under the hammer at Bonhams’ Monaco auction on May 10th is a Jolly with fabulous provenance: chassis 606324.
Purchased new in 1959 by a Milan-based realtor, chassis 606324 served as land transportation for when the owner’s yacht stopped off at various destinations around the Mediterranean. Retained by the same family since new, this matching numbers example has covered a little over 19,000km.
Having at some stage been the recipient of a repaint and more recently a service during which a new exhaust was fitted, this fabulous example represents a rare opportunity to purchase a single ownership 600 Jolly.
Reprinted below is Bonhams’ description:
Coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia
Chassis no. 606324
Engine no. 660643
Single-family ownership from new
Matching numbers
Recently serviced (new exhaust)
Italian registration document
Estimate: €80,000 - €100,000
Finished in typical light blue with wicker seating, this delightful Jolly was sold on 16th June 1959 to its first and only owner, proprietor of a real estate agency in Milan, via the official FIAT Commissionaria in the city.
Importantly, the car retains its original (matching-numbers) engine and host of original fixings including the (believed original) light blue rubber floor mats. The owner used the car in the summer months and had it craned onto his yacht in the Mediterranean, using it as land transport whenever the boat was moored at various Dolce Vita destinations such as the Isle of Capri.
Repainted at some point, the Jolly benefits from a recent service including the fitting of a new exhaust. The car performed effortlessly on the catalogue photo-shoot and is certain to turn heads wherever its fortunate new owner takes it.
The odometer reading of only 19,183 kilometres at time of cataloguing may well be the distance covered from new, given the provenance and usage.
The only change of ownership occurred when the car was transferred from the owner's company to him privately.
This must represent once of the last opportunities to purchase a FIAT beach car from 1959 that has enjoyed single-family ownership from new. The car is offered with Italian registration documents and an Automobile Club d'Italia Estratto Cronologico listing the ownership history and original chassis and engine numbers; most importantly, it describes the type of body as 'aperta' (open), a term only ever applied to the genuine FIAT 600 Jolly.
