Hot Lab and Garage Italia give the Fiat 500 Spiaggina restomod a nautical makeover

The original Fiat 500 is one of those evergreen, highly democratic objects that transcended wealth and class during its lifetime. In the decades that followed, the little 500’s image blossomed into cult car, design classic and highly desirable automotive tchotchke.

The latter status has been given another bump by the recent resurgence of high-end beach cars, spiaggina, inspired by the 60s original commissioned by playboys and industrialists to serve as a last mile transportation solution on the Mediterranean coastline, traversing solely between the yacht, the bar and the beach.

Preeminent in this tiny category of waterside trinkets was the Fiat 500 Jolly, created by Carrozzeria Ghia in the early 50s as a direct commission from Fiat strongman, Gianni Agnelli (Ghia had previously been applying the chopping roof and wicker treatment to other compact European cars).

In the modern era, original Jollys find themselves at luxury car auctions, whilst companies like Castagna Milano can provide a Jolly-fied Fiat Topolino Spiaggina, for a price. Even Fiat itself has ventured into homages based on the contemporary 500C.

The most prominent purveyor of the modern, ultra-restored Jolly, however, is Garage Italia, the creative lab plaything of Lapo Elkann (Agnelli’s great grandson). In addition to electrifying original 500s, the outfit also builds tantalising Fiat Panda restomods and gaudily transformed Ferraris, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos. Garage Italia doesn’t quite have the class of the original carrozzeria, but it certainly has the Chutzpah.

This new, new interpretation of the Spiaggina doubles down on its nautical origins. A collaboration with the Italian yacht design studio Hot Lab (part of the Swedish Viken Group), the new Spiaggina is very much intended as the kind of toy that could be hoisted on and off a superyacht for a spot of onshore exploration.

There are plenty of ways to transform the little Fiat into something with a cheekily camp, more shipshape attitude, from the interior materials to the boat-like livery. The central ‘Heritage Tunnel’, decked out like a Riva, culminates in rear seat storage area that could hold beach reads, magazines or even a bottle of bubbly.

Another obvious nod are the marine grade blue and white floor mats by Italdek, side ropes and specially developed indoor-outdoor fabric, ‘Scia’ by Mariaflora, that will also show up in future accessories. There’s also a Nardi Classic steering wheel, a marine spec item in wood and aluminium. Garage Italia describe this particular Spiaggina as being ‘conceived not simply as a car, but as an extension of the aesthetic language of a boat.’

Interested crews can find out more at Garage-Italia.com, @GarageItalia, Hotlab.it, @Hot_lab_yachtdesign, VikenGroup.se