Michelotti Shellette
The Michelotti Shellette was a rare Italian beach car created through a collaboration between yacht designer Philippe Schell and automotive stylist Giovanni Michelotti.
It was officially presented at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show and produced in small numbers during the following years. The name Shellette referred to Schell, who commissioned the project, while some cars carried Spiaggetta badges.
The car belonged to the Italian spiaggina tradition, which developed during the post-war period as coachbuilders transformed compact Fiat models into open leisure vehicles. Earlier examples included the Fiat 500 Jolly and Fiat 600 Jolly, but Schell wanted a more refined and contemporary interpretation of the beach-car concept.
The project was influenced by Michelotti’s earlier DAF-based Kini. That vehicle had been presented at the Concorso d’Eleganza in Alassio and later given to the Dutch royal family in 1967 to mark the birth of Willem-Alexander. The family used the Kini at its holiday residence in Porto Ercole. Although the Kini used a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, the production Shellette was redesigned around the rear-engined Fiat 850 platform.
The regular Shellette used the Fiat 850 Special’s platform, suspension and drivetrain. Its 843 cc engine produced 47 PS and was mounted behind the rear axle, driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. The Fiat platform was shortened by approximately 9.5 inches, or 22 centimetres, to suit the compact beach-car body.
The Shellette had four seats, no doors and deep side openings extending between the front and rear seating areas. Its metal body was largely open, while a simple canvas cover mounted on a folding frame provided limited protection from the weather.
Unlike some other beach cars, the fixed windscreen could not be folded down. The front end carried two round headlights, and the rear styling recalled the Fiat 850 Spider while using the round lamps associated with the Fiat 850 saloon.
Wicker was used extensively throughout the interior. The front seats and rear bench were made from woven material, while the dashboard also incorporated wicker around the instruments and ventilation openings. Wood panels and trim added to the yacht-inspired character of the cabin.
The Shellette was more luxuriously equipped than the simpler Fiat Jolly, with features including heating and a stereo system.
Michelotti also produced Shellettes based on DAF mechanical components. These versions used the DAF 33 platform with the larger 844 cc, air-cooled two-cylinder engine from the DAF 44. The engine was mounted at the front and produced 34 PS. DAF-based examples can be identified by their four headlights, while Fiat-based cars had two. The DAF versions also used Alfa Romeo Giulia rear lights.
The DAF-based Shellette originated from the earlier Kini, which itself had been created as a special open vehicle for the Dutch royal family. One DAF Shellette was ordered by Aristotle Onassis in 1968 because of its automatic Variomatic transmission. He used it in Monte Carlo, on his island of Skorpios and aboard his yacht. The car included a removable wicker glove compartment that could be used as a bread basket for breakfast on the beach.
The Shellette attracted a small but notable group of owners. Ringo Starr, Aristotle Onassis, Jackie Onassis, Maria Callas and architect Philippe Starck were associated with examples of the model. Approximately 80 vehicles were produced, a figure that includes DAF-based cars and related versions. At least one additional prototype was built on a BMC 1100 platform in an attempt to interest BLMC Australia.
The Fiat-based Shellette was produced from 1968 into the early 1970s. Most examples were assembled in very small numbers, reflecting Michelotti’s role primarily as a design studio rather than a high-volume manufacturer. Fewer than ten surviving examples are known, with cars preserved in collections including the DAF Museum in Eindhoven and the Louwman Museum in The Hague.
