Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
Celebrating the Art of Italian Coachbuilding
The Fiat 1100 Jolly by Carrozzeria Ghia.
The Fiat 1100 Jolly was a special coachbuilt version of the Fiat 1100, produced as a one-off prototype in 1958 by Carrozzeria Ghia. It followed the design philosophy of the “spiaggina” or beach car—a genre that gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, particularly among wealthy clientele seeking stylish, open-air transport for use in resorts or along coastal roads. Based on the underpinnings of the Fiat 1100, a larger and more robust platform than the Fiat 500 or 600, the 1100 Jolly stood apart for its proportions and comfort, offering more interior space while still adhering to the informal and recreational spirit typical of the Jolly range. Designed under the direction of Sergio Sartorelli at Ghia, the 1100 Jolly featured the key traits of the spiaggina genre: fully open sides, the absence of doors, wicker seats, and a lightweight fringed canopy roof supported by slender metal tubing. The exposed nature of the car was not intended for practical daily use but rather for short distances and warm climates, often as a second vehicle for villa owners or as a courtesy car for luxury hotels. Despite its recreational nature, the vehicle retained the mechanical integrity of the 1100 series, including a front-mounted four-cylinder engine paired with a manual transmission, offering reliability and moderate performance suited for relaxed motoring. The design was characterized by soft lines and minimalistic bodywork. The front fascia preserved the recognizable Fiat 1100 grille and headlight arrangement, while the sides and rear were sculpted to accommodate the open passenger area and rear-mounted fabric roof supports. The combination of utilitarian simplicity with refined detailing reflected Ghia’s ability to infuse character into even the most informal designs. Though it remained a prototype and was never put into serial production, the Fiat 1100 Jolly is emblematic of a particular era in postwar Italian design. It represents a time when automotive form was used not only for transportation but also as an extension of leisure and lifestyle, shaped by the collaboration between industrial manufacturers and coachbuilders.
The birth of the Spiaggina (Spiaggia = Beach) takes place in the immediate post-war period at the initiative of some Italian coachbuilders which transformed small mass production cars in order to make them suitable for the needs of wealthy customers during the holiday period in the seaside resorts.
Designer Sergio Sartorelli was born in Alessandria in 1928; he took the degree in Mechanical Engineering at the “Politecnico” of Turin and soon became interested in cars.
