Italy's beach cars: dreams of summer

Italy has a really special feel to it. And in places like Capri and Portofino you soon realize that you need pretty special vehicles, too, to cope with the narrow and often difficult roads. The solution? To transform small utility cars — typical of this country — into “beach” vehicles. This idea, part of the whole “Dolce Vita” spirit, was born in the 1960s. And it has continued until the present day, even though homologation standards are now becoming increasingly complex.

These “beach cars”, as they were called, together with the Vespa, helped to put Italy ahead in the lifestyle stakes. Featured in international glossy magazines, where they would be shown carrying celebrities like Gianni Agnelli or Aristotle Onassis, they immediately took on legendary status.

So, here are the most well-known and flamboyant of the Italian “beach cars”. Look out for the French ones in the next few days.