1961 FIAT 600 JOLLY
Coachwork by Ghia
Chassis no. 100.626268
Engine no. 100.000 683802
633cc OHV Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
Single Carburetor
28.5bhp at 4,600rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes
*Single ownership for more than 50 years
*Documented and complete with tools
*Barn fresh discovery
*The perfect car for the Hamptons
The 600 Jolly
Undoubtedly the most endearing variant of the eponymous Fiat 600 was the Jolly, an open runabout intended for beach resorts and other tourist destinations. Created by Ghia on the 600 base, the cars featured weather-resistant wicker seats and a fringed surrey top for protection from the sun. Comparatively expensive (nearly twice the price of the basic model 600), they tended to be purchased by wealthy owners with large yachts, among them Aristotle Onassis. A fleet of 32 furnished taxi service on Catalina Island off the coast of California.
The Motorcar Offered
Owing to their popularity and the commonality of the base model, Jollys are frequently copied and built up, or rather cut down from their more ubiquitous sedan brethren, and perhaps so often considered as frivolous fun they rarely adhere to the mainplace guidelines of collectible automobiles. For those reasons, it is no underestimate to say that it is rare to find one that is not only the genuine article, but carries documentation that traces it back to day one.
This timewarp Jolly is one such example and comes to the market after an amazing continuous ownership of 54 years! From the correspondence on file, it appears that ordering one's Jolly was not particularly easy back in the Sixties. This car can trace its import through Houston to the Italian Southwest Car Company of Fort Worth, Texas, then to the shared dealership Western Motors of Wichita, Kansas before its safe arrival with its first owner, Karney Cochran, of Wellsville, New York.
Over the course of its five decades the Fiat has worn surprisingly well, akin to its modest odometer reading of a little over 18,000 miles. The seats show some age and it looks as though its paint has been freshened, but ostensibly this is a simple un-messed with Jolly and all the better for it.
Complete with its early paper trail, a period instruction book and even its tools and jack, this pretty Fiat is very much the real deal and has recently been freshened with new rubber mats, tires and a service.
Saleroom notices
- Please note that the title for this vehicle is in transit.
