FOR SALE: 1969 Fiat 500 'Jolly' £33,250

This stunning, quirky ‘Jolly’ was built in Fiat’s famous Mirafiori factory in Turin in January 1969. It resided in Italy until 2012 whereupon it was imported and meticulously restored and converted to the fun open-air runabout that presents today.

The ‘Jolly’ was borne from the desire of style icon and boss of Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, to have a lightweight beach car that would accompany his 82ft yacht ‘Agneta’. Upon completion by Fiat, the original cars were dispatched to nearby coachbuilders Carrrozeria Ghia to be converted by having the roof removed, sills strengthened, doors removed, windscreen cut-down and the interior transformed to sand and sea friendly natural wicker.

Always expensive and perceived as an indulgence, original cars such as that owned by Mrs Sophie Camplez Dalle (the wife of Francois Dalle, managing director of L’Oreal in 1961), now sell for in excess of EUR100,000. Princess Grace of Monaco, as well as Elvis Presley were period owners of ‘Jolly’s’ too.

The attention to detail of this example is spectacular; white-walled Pirelli Cinturato tyres,  deck-chair style surrey canopy, cut-down windscreen and exquisitely woven seats and carpets. Unlike some, this just looks right. The body and paint is as perfect underneath as it is on top. Having received a full mechanical overhaul too, the upgraded and thrummy twin-cylinder engine starts willingly and runs sweetly. The finned, larger and of course stylish ‘Gianinni’ embossed sump has a larger oil capacity than standard and helps aid cooling when cruising around the streets of Monaco for example - like F1 Word Champion Lando Norris.