1970 Fiat 850 Shellette by Michelotti

FiatOn Display

Jan 24

Written By Andrew Summers

Quick Specs

47 hp.
85 mph.
80 (est.)

Specialized Vacation Vehicle

As the popularity of the Mediterranean as a vacation area reached a new prominence during the 1950s and 1960s, the demand for a specialized vehicle. Known by the Italian designation “spiaggina,” they were derived from the smallest cars available from a manufacturer—often Fiat—and recall a carefree time between 1955 and 1970 when prosperity was high and the sophistication one projected was vital to securing a place in society.

The Fiat Shellette was one of many such cars popular among wealthy seaside residents prior to the global financial downturn of the early-1970s. Built on a Fiat 850 chassis, the Shellette was equipped with a fringed canopy for occasional weather protection, but no doors. The seats were fashioned from wicker to make them less susceptible to damage caused by wet bathing suits.

One of only approximately 80 ever built, the car in the collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum was purchased new by the donor, who used it to run local errands in and around her Beverly Hills home before gifting it to the museum. Built for style rather than speed, the Shellette was the perfect car for a jaunt down to Rodeo Drive to run a quick errand. Like the finest yachts and most stylish couture, the Shellette was an indulgence that was desired by all, available to few, and can still evoke the free-spirited image it helped to create.

Collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum, Gift of Nicola Dantine Bautzer

This vehicle featured ‘The Vault’.