To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Fiat 500 Spiaggina , with full name 500 Jolly Spaiggina, the Italian brand presented, based on the current 500, two tributes to the model vacationer. One in the form of a curious prototype — the creation of Garage Italia and Pininfarina — and the other in the form of a special Fiat 500C series.
The Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina — which translates to something similar to a beach buggy — originally appeared in 1958, exactly a year after the first 500, and would be the first special series of the iconic model. It was more than just a Fiat 500 convertible—in addition to not having a rigid roof, it also had no doors, the seats were wicker, and what we might call a roof was nothing more than an awning to protect from the sun.
The 500 Spiaggina was produced between 1958 and 1965 by Carrozzeria Ghia, and would gain a second variant, based on the Giardiniera, the 500 van. It cost twice as much as a regular 500, but kept the same 22 hp air-cooled bi-cylinder. It ended up gaining favor with some of the most influential personalities of the time, whether industry magnates like Aristotle Onassis, movie stars like Yul Brynner, or even leaders of nations like Lyndon B. Johnson, president of the United States.
The first Fiat 500 Jolly Spiaggina was introduced in 1958
500 Spiaggina by Garage Italia
In Fiat's double tribute to 500 Spiaggina, Garage Italia and Pininfarina's proposal wins our vote. The modern reinterpretation of the concept gave rise to a Fiat 500 with just two seats, without a roof or windshield worthy of the name — Garage Italia calls it the nautical windshield. Pininfarina was in charge of executing the roll-bar and structural reinforcements necessary to guarantee sufficient levels of rigidity for the 500 Spiaggina.
The space where the rear seats should be is now a cargo space, lined with cork, with a pattern reminiscent of the teak found in luxury yachts. Even access to the trunk is different, with the 500 Spiaggina resembling a mini pickup. The two front seats did not remain untouched either, resembling a bench seat, evoking typical solutions from the 60s.
The nostalgic feeling is reinforced by the chromatic combination of Volare blue and Perla white (pearl), which has the same correspondence in the interior, topped off with a series of chrome elements.
Reduced to two seats, with extra space in the back for "summer stuff"
Despite all of it “screaming” concept, Garage Italia states that it accepts orders for interested parties , transforming the 500 into a Spiaggina, just like the model they made known.
500 Spiaggina ’58 by Fiat
The second tribute is the special series Spiaggina 58 , based on the 500C, which will be produced in 1958 units. As proposed by Garage Italia, the bodywork is covered in Volare blue, the top is in beige and the seats are presented in two tones. The 16″ wheels themselves refer to other times — already seen on the 500’57 — and chrome accents “spatter” the bodywork, such as the mirror covers or even the identification of the version on the rear, with an elegant handwritten font.
Despite its nostalgic appeal, the 500 Spiaggina ’58 comes with the latest “trenches”: Uconnect infotainment system with 7″ touchscreen, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, AC Automatic or rear parking sensors. It is also available in two petrol engines, the well-known 1.2 with 69 hp and the 0.9 l Twinair with 85 hp.
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