For yacht owners arriving in a Mediterranean port, finding a way to explore the surrounding town presents a different sort of transportation challenge. Zipping around on a Vespa might sound charming, but not everyone is made for the scooter life. Italian auto custom shop Garage Italia has created its own take on the classic Fiat 500 Spiaggina to give the yachting crowd a stylish alternative for getting around town.
Photography courtesy of Garage Italia
At its core, the Spiaggina is a humble Fiat 500. The “Cinquecento,” as it’s called in Italian, was created to be to Italy what the Mini Cooper was to Britain and the VW Beetle to Germany: small, basic transportation to bring mobility to the masses in the post-WWII era. The original Fiat 500 Jolly, also known as the Spiaggina, transformed that practical foundation into a doorless, open-air vehicle designed for leisurely drives along the Mediterranean coast. With its distinctive woven seating and removable canopy, it became a fixture of Italian resort culture.
Photography courtesy of Garage Italia
The Garage Italia remake distinguishes itself from its forebears by using electric power, with a rear-mounted motor delivering 13 horsepower and 60 lb-ft of torque. Hardly muscle-car statistics, but it’s enough to get the convertible up to more than 45 miles per hour. The 11 kWh battery gives it 87 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle. That should be more than enough for short trips around coastal towns, while electric power eliminates the need to carry additional gasoline aboard a yacht.
Photography courtesy of Garage Italia
But the other way this Jolly stands out is a bit more obvious: it’s extensively customizable. The sheet metal comes in 18 shades (off-menu colors are also an option), and the weather-resistant roof, cushions, and other components are available in dozens of fabric patterns from Italian textile company Mariaflora. The seats are handcrafted by Bonacina, an Italian furniture maker specializing in woven designs since 1889, and are available in natural or tinted rattan or Polycore, a composite material designed to withstand sun and salt exposure. Even the flooring takes its cues from the marine world, using durable, waterproof EVA material from ItalDek. And as with Porsches, Ferraris, and all sorts of other exotic machinery these days, you can configure your ideal version on its maker’s website.
Photography courtesy of Garage Italia
At €85,000 (around $97,000) before options and taxes, this electric runabout costs roughly as much as a BMW 7-Series. It’s a considerable departure from the Fiat 500’s affordable origins, but practicality has never been the point of the Spiaggina. With its open-air design, handcrafted materials, and seemingly endless customization options, Garage Italia has transformed a humble Italian icon into something closer to a bespoke design object on wheels.
Photography courtesy of Garage Italia
