Why Are People Paying So Much for a Fiat Jolly?
The Fiat Jolly is a unique car with an expensive price tag.
Written by Alexandra Maloney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
It’s no secret that due to the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain issues, and general inflation, car prices have been steadily increasing throughout the last few years. But, most of the price increases have been by a few thousand dollars over the span of multiple years, and in part can be credited to improved design, features, and more on newer trims.
This story isn’t the case for the
Fiat
Jolly. Instead, the vintage buggy has been increasing in price, even selling in the hundreds of thousands, despite adding no new models or features. Let’s dive into why this quirky car is sought after by many drivers today.What is the Fiat Jolly?
The Fiat Jolly is a unique vehicle. With no doors, wicker seats, and a fabric top in place of a roof, the Fiat Jolly isn’t the most practical car for everyday driving. Instead,
Hagerty
reports the car was designed by Carrozzeria Ghia to target wealthy seaside dwellers who wanted to use the Fiat Jolly for short errands, or to take with them on a yacht to use as transportation around the ship.Because of the interesting nature and need of the Fiat Jolly, it’s estimated that only around 650 were ever produced. The car had two models—the Fiat Jolly 500 and Fiat Jolly 600—and they either supported a 479-cc two-cylinder engine, or a 633-cc four-cylinder engine. Despite having no doors and a cloth roof, the Fiat Jolly could reach maximum speeds of around 52 mph.
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Fiat Jolly price
The average value of a Fiat Jolly is around $43,000, but the cars are selling for way more than that price. Hagerty reports Fiat Jollys have been sold in recent years for $148,000, $154,000, and a record-breaking $170,500.
Interestingly enough, it isn’t reported that model year has a large impact on price. Instead, car buyers care more about the condition and origin of the Fiat Jolly.
MotorBiscuit
reports classic Fiat Jollys tend to sell at higher prices than used Fiat Jollys in the United States market, indicating that buyers value the European-influence on the car. But, no prices compare to a Fiat Jolly that’s in pristine condition, despite where it came from. According to Hagerty, the largest price shifts in the Fiat Jolly occurred in 2006, where the price of the car jumped 30%, and in 2011, where price jumped 16% for a Fiat Jolly. In years since, the market has seen a steady 1-2% increase each year.
Why are Fiat Jollys so expensive?
Although classic cars selling at a high price isn’t unusual in the automotive world, the Fiat Jolly is an interesting phenomenon because they’re impractical for everyday use and don’t include any luxury features (or even a real roof)!
The best explanation for the prices of these cars is that because so few Fiat Jollys were ever produced, and the ones that were are so unique, when one comes up for auction it’s a pretty big deal to classic car lovers.
Who’s buying Fiat Jollys?
Hagerty found the people who purchase Fiat Jollys the most are classic car collectors, and that the average Fiat Jolly owner has at least four other classic cars in their collection. Most Fiat Jolly owners have an average of 41 vehicles, averaging close to $9 million in value. It’s rare to see someone who doesn’t own or collect cars to have a Fiat Jolly.
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