The Lancia Jolly was a light commercial vehicle produced from 1959 to 1963 on the basis of the third-series Appia. It was presented alongside the Appia in early 1959 with a low-loading, cab-over body, and it came as a van or a pick-up. In four years 3,011 were built, and in 1964 it was replaced by the larger Super Jolly.
Lancia Jolly at a glance
| Maker | Lancia, Turin |
|---|---|
| Production | 1959–1963 |
| Basis | third-series Lancia Appia |
| Project code | 809 |
| Engine | 1,090 cc four-cylinder |
| Power | 36.5 hp |
| Top speed | 97 km/h |
| Layout | cab over, low loading floor |
| Length | 4,595 mm |
| Width | 1,815 mm |
| Height | 1,902 mm |
| Weight | 1,500 kg |
| Built | 3,011 |
| Replaced by | Lancia Super Jolly, 1964 |
based on one source
History of the Lancia Jolly
From car-derived van to cab-over
Lancia’s earlier commercial models had used the Appia bodywork, including the passenger car’s front doors. For the Jolly the company chose a different approach: a cab-over design with the driver sitting above the front axle, which made the vehicle shorter on the road for the same load space and gave a low loading floor. It was meant for tradesmen and small deliveries in exactly the years when Italy’s economy was expanding and light commercial vehicles were in demand.
Mechanicals
Underneath, the Jolly was a third-series Appia. Its four-cylinder engine of 1,090 cc produced 36.5 hp and gave a top speed of 97 km/h. The vehicle measured 4,595 mm long, 1,815 mm wide and 1,902 mm high, and weighed 1,500 kg. Buyers could order it as a van or as a pick-up, the pickup being useful for builders and farmers who needed an open load bed.
The Super Jolly
The Jolly itself lasted only four years, with 3,011 units built between 1959 and 1963. In 1964 it was replaced by the Lancia Super Jolly, an entirely different vehicle with a larger engine and mechanicals from the Flavia, so the Jolly name covered two quite different generations in Lancia’s light commercial range. The Jolly name was revived in 2025 by Iveco for a new range of vans called the Iveco Jolly and Iveco SuperJolly.
Design and features
- Cab-over layout: a compact footprint and a low loading floor instead of the Appia’s car-type nose.
- Appia mechanicals: the proven 1,090 cc engine and running gear of the third-series car.
- Two bodies: available as a van or as a pick-up.
- Super Jolly successor: replaced in 1964 by a larger Flavia-based vehicle.
Lancia Jolly versions
- Jolly van: the closed-body light delivery vehicle.
- Jolly pick-up: the open-bed version.
- Super Jolly: larger replacement of 1964 on Flavia mechanicals.
The Jolly was based on the Lancia Appia, and its larger successor was the Super Jolly, related in engineering to the Lancia Flavia. More vehicles are in the Lancia collection.
Sources
- Lancia Jolly, English Wikipedia: history, dimensions, engine, production
