1959 Fiat Jolly 600

The legendary coachbuilder Ghia created the iconic Jolly on a chassis supplied by Fiat. It was suitable for leisure duties such as on golf course greens, yacht decks, or at a resort. They were made famous by the 1970s television series 'Fantasy Island'. These vehicles are considered micro-cars and are powered by two-cylinder 497cc engines which give it a dangerous top speed of 55 miles per hour. Fuel economy is exceptional at 52 mpg. The inside features wicker seats and there is a surrey top.

The 600 Series is actually a ' high-performance ' Jolly as most were given the Fiat 500 drive-train. These had slightly larger bodies and water-cooled four-cylinder engines. The top speed was in the neighborhood of 60 mph. Other refinements included an optional working heater. All of this cost nearly double that of standard '500' and much more than the normal Jolly 500. As would be expected, production was limited and it is believed that fewer than 100 exist today.

32 Jolly cars were used as taxis on the island of Catalina off the coast of Los Angeles from 1958 - 1962.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017