What do you get for the multimillionaire who has everything except a decent car to tour the estate with? The adorable Fiat Jolly, of course. With basket-weave seats and fully open sides, the Jolly was often described by its fans as a "beach buggy." Road & Track went one step further by saying it was akin to a modern "surrey with the fringe on top." The body was both designed and built by Ghia around a 479 cc two-cylinder engine. Weighing in at a mere 1050 lb., the Jolly could actually hit 56 mph, while achieving gas mileage of 52 mpg. The "cuteness factor" of the one-of-a-kind Jolly has certainly made it a favorite in the small world of microcar collectibles.
The microcar pictured here is a very rare and collectible Fiat Jolly 500 equipped with a rear-mounted, two-cylinder engine, a Surrey top with fringe and wicker seats, and may be regarded as one of the best-restored examples for sale in the world! A great gift for that "hard to buy for" person in your life.
SCM Analysis
Detailing
| Vehicle: | 1960 Fiat Jolly 500 |
| Years Produced: | 1959-1961 |
| Original List Price: | $1,760 |
| Tune Up Cost: | $150 |
| Chassis Number Location: | Left side of firewall |
| Engine Number Location: | Left side of crank case support |
| Club Info: | Fiat Jolly Register, 3012 Ardsley Dr., Orlando, FL 32804 |
| Website: | http://home.cfl.rr.com/piantieri/fiatjoll.htm |
| Alternatives: | Mini Moke, Citroen Mehari, Fiat 600 Jolly |
The car described here sold for $22,000 including commission at the RM Classic Car Auction held August 27-28, 1999 in Monterey, California. For generations, the microcar collector has been a virtual outcast. The cars were never fast enough to be considered transportation, they look silly and when it comes time to sell you need to find another microcar collector who is as wacky as you are.
That all ended in the spring of 1997 when Canadian Bruce Weiner offered his vast microcar collection at a No Reserve auction held by Christie’s in London. The average microcar before this time was thought to be a $3-5,000 car with the exception of a few machines like the Messerschmitt Tiger and a few of the bigger Isettas. A few of Weiner’s cars topped $30,000 and sent most analysts scrambling for a plausible explanation for the huge prices.
Though the market in diminutive collector cars is difficult to track, the sale of this Fiat, though similar to what you would pay for a beautiful Fiat Dino Spider, was not out of line with the sales of Weiner’s microcars. It appears that real money for something that is not a real car, is a feat that can be repeated if the right car is offered through the right auction.-Michael Duffey