Fiat's blast from the pasta

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Aug 31, 2008 | by QUENTIN WILLSON

HERE'S something to bring a little sunshine into your weekend - the Portofino, Fiat's clever contemporary take on their charming Jolly model from the 1950s.

Currently just a concept, it's a chopped-about Fiorino van with wood laminate flooring and waterproof natural fibre seats, with the removable rears folding down for your surfboards, bellbottoms and spare Speedos. I love the nautical rope instead of doors, the neat central hooped roll bar and the fact that it looks so like the charismatic Jolly.

For those who don't remember, Italian coachbuilders Ghia took a bog standard Fiat 600, cut out the doors, and put in canvas seats and a striped deck chair-type wicker roof. Produced from 1958 to 1966, the Jolly was twice the price of a standard 600, and was bought by the likes of Yul Brynner, Aristotle Onassis (who had one on his yacht) and the late Grace Kelly, who used to scamper round Monte Carlo in a sky-blue one. These days original Jollys fetch up to pounds 10,000 and have a huge cult following.

In deference to its appeal to all those holiday car rental companies - who are no doubt forming a disorderly queue as I write - the Portofino has a 1.3 Multijet engine, speed limiter and traction control. The Italian car giant would be bonkers, remiss even, not to put this little gem into full-scale production. But let's hope the beach-friendly Portofino's rust-proofing is better than all those crumbly Fiats of yore.