BASF’s concept car MySetta was handed over today to its new owner. The historic BMW microcar was purchased for €26,099 in an eBay auction. BASF is rounding up this figure to €30,000 and donating the entire sum to the child rights organization Save the Children, which has partnered with BASF on various projects. The project partnership was agreed upon at the Creator Space tour stop in Mumbai. The Creator Space tour is a cornerstone of BASF’s anniversary celebrations.
The Isetta is a BMW classic car that was first presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1953. BASF purchased a 1958 model of this classic car, reinterpreting it with innovative BASF products and naming it “MySetta Concept Car.”
At this series of events, BASF collaborates with partners to find solutions for global challenges. After stops in Mumbai, Shanghai, New York, São Paulo and Barcelona, the tour concludes in Ludwigshafen, Germany, from November 20 to 30, 2015. Philipp Appel, Manager Corporate Partnerships & Foundations of Save the Children Germany, accepted the check with the proceeds from the auction today in Ludwigshafen. “Together with BASF, we have developed measures to improve access to clean drinking water for children in India. We are very happy that we can now use this money to build a community-managed sanitation facility in India’s capital Delhi,” said Appel.
The Isetta is a BMW classic car that was first presented at the Turin Motor Show in 1953. The microcar, which was affectionately nicknamed the “bubble car,” soon gained cult status. Famous fans of the car included Elvis Presley and Cary Grant. BASF purchased a 1958 model of this classic car, reinterpreting it with innovative BASF products and naming it “MySetta Concept Car.” The MySetta was a show car for BASF for many years and appeared at several trade fairs.
“We decided to do an auction on eBay in order to reach as many potential buyers as we could and achieve the highest possible proceeds for Save the Children,” said Elisabeth Schick, Senior Vice President Communications & Government Relations, BASF Group. The bidding for MySetta took place from November 2 to 12, 2015. The winning bid of €26,099 was placed by the firm EM.tec Design. This company has a special connection with the classic car: The seats and interior lining of the car were newly furnished with an innovative cover from BASF. It was produced with BASF’s ValureTM system solution, a special transfer coating technology for unique soft-touch surfaces with flexible design options. EM.tec Design is a licensing partner for Valure technology in Europe. Michael Einhaus, Managing Director of EM.tec Design, and Heinz Einhaus, Managing Director of its parent company Einhaus GmbH, picked up the MySetta today.
The microcar also has a two-tone finish specially developed by the division BASF Coatings. The waterborne special-effect paint is composed of the colors “Big White” and the metallic blue “Bluetta,” which BASF color designers created for the MySetta. The interior contains an entire set of equipment to create a drive-in theater on any wall, including a parcel shelf equipped with stereo speakers and a video projector. The MySetta is not only an attention-grabbing car, it is also ready to drive as soon it is registered.
Project partners BASF and Save the Children
BASF and Save the Children have worked together in Kenya and India to develop solutions for pressing challenges in the field of water and nutrition. Both projects were carried out using the empathic design co-creation method: Expert teams from BASF, BASF Stiftung (a German charitable foundation) and Save the Children worked closely with the affected populations to develop approaches to addressing local challenges. In Turkana, Kenya, the team and local residents established measures to improve livelihoods and food security. In Mumbai, the experts were looking for solutions to provide children with better access to clean drinking water. Participants in the project reported on their experiences in a workshop held at the closing of the Creator Space tour in Ludwigshafen.
About Creator Space™
BASF is hosting activities and events around the world in 2015 to celebrate and to co-create – bringing in the ideas and collaborative energy of BASF employees, customers, scientists and members of the community. In addition to the Creator Space tour, other key elements include Creator Space online, a global internet platform, and three Creator Space science symposia, in Ludwigshafen (smart energy), Chicago (food) and Shanghai (urban living). More information under: www.creator-space.basf.com
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.