You could own Lando Norris’s Fiat 500 Jolly!

We were slightly taken aback - and more than a little impressed - when McLaren driver Lando Norris told us a little while ago that his daily driver was a Fiat 500 Jolly. Big F1-star-drives-cool-car points, there.

But now we hear that the plucky little Jolly is to be auctioned by Car & Classic, with bidding set to take place over the course of five days from 26 October. Apparently it’s expected to fetch something in the region of £28k to £33k.

As Lando was quick to point out to TopGear.com, it’s not an original Jolly but an evocation model that draws inspiration from the 650-odd cars built by Italian design house Ghia.

Such was the rarity (and popularity) of Ghia’s creation that Fiat 500 owners the world over decided to get in on the action, hence the roofless, doorless recreation you see in the gallery above.

This example is from 1972, and it’s powered by a 499cc air-cooled Fiat engine and mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. According to Lando: “It’s got 15 horsepower so it’s a struggle to get up the hill out of Monaco – you can’t even go for third gear or you’ll grind to a halt up there.”

Meanwhile the auctioneer highlights the ‘fantastic condition’ of the light blue gelato paint, whitewall tyres and caramel carpet, and the wicker seats are said to be ‘sand-friendly’ for spur-of-the-moment trips to the beach: they’re coupled with a matching rear basket and storage underneath the dashboard, too.

Norris’s purchase invoice is on file, and the Jolly’s historic status means it is tax free, ULEZ compliant and MOT exempt. The perfect hat-trick!

“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 Dale Vinten, head of editorial at Car & Classic. “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”.

Might an upgrade be in the works for Lando? The 23-year-old is mid-way through a bumper four-year contract with McLaren, and the McLaren F1, Pagani Huayra R and Singer DLS were all part of his dream three-car garage…