Car & Classic, Europe’s largest online marketplace for classic and niche vehicles is set to offer a beloved 1972 Fiat 500 Jolly evocation, currently owned by British Formula 1 superstar Lando Norris.
It was the first car that Norris bought with his own money and has been used as a ‘perfect little run around’, according to a recent interview with Top Gear, and numerous fan videos that capture the Brit cruising through the streets of his home-away-from-home. Team mate Oscar Piastri has also been spotted behind the wheel of the Fiat.
Norris’ car is an evocation of the famous ‘Jolly’ variant of the classic Fiat 500. World-renowned Italian styling house Ghia built only an estimated 650 original Jollys, meaning they are rare and survivors are highly prized. The Jolly’s rarity combined with its desirability has resulted in many original Fiat 500s being converted to the doorless, open-air configuration, with iconic wicker seats and canopy roof.
The light blue ‘gelato’ paint colour is in fantastic condition inside and out and is complimented by whitewall tyres. The light exterior is contrasted by the browns of the high-quality caramel carpet and the famed, sand-friendly wicker seats.
Mounted on the rear of the car is a handy wicker storage box, which when combined with the matching storage cubby mounted centrally under the dashboard, makes for some period-appropriate improvements to the diminutive Fiat’s practicality. That dashboard features the desirable Fiat 500 round Veglia dial, the icing on the cake for this stylish and charming Mediterranean runaround.
Like Lando’s other famous vehicle, the engine can be found behind the driver, but rather than a >1000bhp Mercedes-AMG HPP 1.6-litre V6 hybrid, the Jolly is powered by a 499cc air-cooled Fiat engine paired with a four-speed manual ‘box, half the gears Norris has to deal with at the day job. The Fiat Jolly has Lando Norris’ purchase invoice on file and its historic status makes it tax-free, ULEZ compliant, and MOT exempt.
The Jolly is being sold during a great run of form for its owner; Norris has enjoyed six podiums so far this year for his resurgent McLaren team and is currently on a streak of four in a row as he heads to Mexico for this weekend’s race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Last Sunday, the Brit secured P2 at the US Grand Prix, where he was also voted ‘Driver of the Day’. Norris is one of the most popular drivers on the F1 grid.
“Cars with famous former owners are popular on Car & Classic, but taking one off the hands of a current F1 driver, especially one in a rich vein of form, is a rare opportunity,” says Car & Classic head of editorial Dale Vinten. “Lando Norris has proven he knows the optimal way to get around the streets of Monte Carlo in a McLaren, and his beloved Jolly proves he knows how to do the same when he’s off-duty too”.
Car & Classic’s auction of Lando Norris’ Fiat 500 Jolly runs from 26 – 31 October and is expected to fetch between £28k and £33k.
