Fiat Multipla Eden Roc

The Fiat 600 Eden Roc is a limited-production beach car designed by the Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina, based on the Fiat 600 Multipla. The original Multipla, introduced at the 1956 Turin Auto Salon, was a rear-engined, forward-control minivan recognized as the first of its kind in Italy. Although initially criticized for its unconventional appearance, the Multipla’s compact, versatile platform offered significant technical innovation and became the basis for numerous coachbuilt variants. The Eden Roc project began as a commission from Gianni Agnelli, then president of Roberto Incerti & C and a leading figure in the Fiat Group. Seeking a stylish, open-air vehicle for use at his French Riviera residence, Villa La Leopolda, Agnelli turned to Pininfarina to reinterpret the utilitarian Multipla as a luxury beach car. The resulting design, referred to at the time as the 600 “Spiaggina”, drew inspiration from yacht tenders and incorporated nautical design elements. Pininfarina’s team, under the direction of Sergio Pininfarina, created an open-bodied vehicle with a curved boat-style windshield, vertical side panels, and a mahogany rubbing strip around the perimeter. The rear seating area featured a U-shaped wooden bench, while the driver’s seat was a marine-style vinyl-covered bench. The vehicle retained the original Fiat 600’s 633 cc rear-mounted engine and mechanical layout but was distinguished by its bespoke coachwork and materials. The design omitted a roof or side windows, emphasizing its use as a leisure vehicle in warm, coastal environments. A second example was commissioned in 1957 by Henry Ford II after a visit to Fiat’s facilities in Turin, where he was introduced to the car through Agnelli. The vehicle was delivered to Ford at the Paris Motor Show later that year and exhibited by Pininfarina. It featured minor variations from the Agnelli version, including a luggage rack and canopy attachments. Although often referred to by the nickname “Eden Roc,” this designation was informal and originated from the name of the Riviera promontory near Villa La Leopolda. It was popularized in 1957 by French newspapers covering Agnelli’s appearance at the Cannes Film Festival with the vehicle. A third Fiat 600 Eden Roc surfaced in the United States in 2010 during the Dana Point Concours d’Elegance in California. Factory records confirmed its chassis was produced in 1957 and delivered to Pininfarina that same year. The car had been owned by William Doheny Jr., president of the Union Oil Company of California, who used it at a resort complex he developed at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains. Unlike the earlier examples, this vehicle featured a non-original 962 cc engine with a Weber carburetor and additional custom modifications. It remained in private ownership until it was auctioned at Pebble Beach in 2015, where it sold for $660,000. The car is currently part of the collection at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.