We return to the 'dolce vita'!
Let's travel for a moment to the Swinging Sixties, that prodigious decade full of vibrant sounds and striking colors. Its Italian translation was the famous _ dolce vita _, which had its cinematographic reflection in the film of the same title directed by Federico Fellini in 1960.
As well, one of the emblems of that reckless and hedonistic era in Italy was the Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina '58, a convertible that invited you to go to the beach and that was the first special edition of the mythical cinquino.
This year 60 years have passed since that iconic vehicle that was in production between 1958 and 1965 and, to celebrate it, the Italian company has released for sale a special and limited edition of 1,958 units that recreates all the characteristics of the former, but with the technological innovations typical of our time.
The vintage appearance of the Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina has a lot to do with the Volare Blue color of its bodywork.
The original Jolly was equipped with a 22-horsepower, air-cooled, two-cylinder engine and had a top speed of 102 kilometers. . One of its most striking features was the absence of doors, although its most innovative aspect in terms of design was the incorporation of chrome bars on the sides and on the upper part of the bodywork.
THE HISTORY
If the Fiat 500 already represents the quintessential Italian as far as the automotive industry is concerned, the Jolly Spiaggina was the paradigm of the dolce vita made vehicle. It was the first special edition of the cinquino, with a price that was double the normal version.
Built by Carrozzeria Ghia on the basis of the Fiat 500 and later also produced in a Giardiniera version, it was sold in Europe, the United States and even South Africa.
His nickname of Spiaginna ('little beach', in Italian) suits him because was conceived by the brand as a 'beach buggy' and from its launch it was magnificently welcomed by the most influential personalities of the time, including the shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis or the actor Yul Brynner, who used several copies as vehicles with which to move to their yachts or as golf carts in their mansions. Even US President Lyndon B. Johnson had a 500 Jolly in his personal car collection.
Aristotle Onassis and actor Yul Brynner used the 500 Jolly to get to their yachts or as a golf car in their mansions.
Now the Spiaggina returns to recall their glory days with the rear-view mirror clearly focused on the magical years of la dolce vita. Who could resist the temptation to emulate Marcello Mastroianni or Anita Ekberg traveling miles along the Italian coast? A matter of nostalgia and imagination.
IN & OUT
For its new reincarnation of 2018, which will go on sale in Spain this September, the 500 Jolly has a 69 hp 1.2 petrol engine, with the latest Euro6D rating.
In terms of exterior design, it sports a dazzling bodywork in an exclusive color called Volare Blue (named after the unforgettable song that Domenico Modugno performed at the San Remo Festival in 1958) and white beltline, a decidedly vintage look which is increased by 16-inch alloy wheels.
That seductive and nostalgic exterior appearance is finished off by the beige hood, complemented by other details such as a side molding with the 500 logo, chrome mirror caps, retro logos and the Spiaggina ’58 name stamped in polished metal.
The interior also exudes that clear nostalgic vocation, for example, on the dashboard, also with the aforementioned Volare Blue exterior color, which extends to the seats, in two tones, with a gray striped base and an ivory upper section, as well as at the wheel, with sixties logo.
New special limited edition of the Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina, the funniest convertible.
TECHNOLOGY
The only thing this special edition of the 500 Jolly doesn't look to the past is in terms of technological equipment , since it comes standard with the Uconnect HD LIVE connectivity system with touch screen, integrated Apple CarPlay and compatible with Android AutoTMT.
It also has a navigator with Tom Tom maps and DAB digital radio, as well as seven-inch TFT screen in the dashboard, the largest in its class, automatic climate control, rear parking sensors and height-adjustable seats.
ANOTHER MORE CREATIVE VERSION
The tributes to this golden sexagenarian do not stay in this special edition launched by Fiat. Also the creative center run by Giovanni Agnelli's heir, Lapo Elkann, known as Garage Italia, together with the design firm Pininfarina, have wanted to make his own recreation of the Spiaggina starting from the base of the 500C.
For this they have eliminated the roof, as in the original from the 60s and they have modified the rear seats to convert that space into a compartment with a built-in shower, thus accentuating its beach character.
The special edition of the 500 Jolly has a seven-inch TFT screen on the dashboard.
This custom showcar features a reduced nautical windshield and the cargo deck is covered by cork boards in a design reminiscent of the teak plank design of luxury yachts.
And to curl the marine curl, the pilot and co-pilot seats have been replaced by a bench Made to measure in memory of the typical design of the cars of the 60's, covered by blue and white leather upholstery, with waterproof treatment.
For their part, Garage Italia and Pininfarina have recreated the Spiaggina without a roof, with a bench in the front seats and a shower in the rear.