Heading up the advisory board is Professor Paolo Tumminelli, director of the Goodbrands Institute, design critic and professor of Cultural Sciences at Cologne University of Applied Sciences he’s chosen this iconic Panda from 1980 as his contribution.

The other two members of the advisory board to choose Italian cars to be specially showcased are founder of Garage Italia, Lapo Elkann, who has chosen his recently launched Fiat 500 based ‘Spiaggina’ and the ‘car designer of the century’ Giorgetto Giugiaro who has picked his most recent design, the GFG Sibylla GG 80, which he presented for its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show back in March.

Professor Paolo Tumminelli – 1980 Fiat Panda

The founding chairman of the advisory board, Tumminelli is a frequent commentator on automobile design, and a firm believer in the value of the automobile as a cultural asset.

In his curated frame, Tumminelli is presenting a derelict 38-year-old Fiat Panda 45 – a car that was found in Sardinia in 2008 and driven to the Neue Sammlung design museum in Munich.

It is an honest representation of the automobile in its most pure form as a user-friendly tool. The iconic design by Giorgetto Giugiaro was unapologetically simple, in the tradition of practical compact cars such as the Citroen 2CV and Renault 4.

"The Panda is the very last car made for people, the last surviving witness of a time when the car was still serving humans - and not the other way around," explained Tumminelli. "It is tireless, unpretentious, immediate, uncomplicated: a T-shirt on wheels, pure mobility. While not beautiful in the classical sense, and easy to overlook as a masterpiece of rational architecture, the Panda irrevocably completes the development of the popular automobile, which began in 1908 with the Ford T.

"The Panda was built, bought, used, consumed and abused – and the example of display at Grand Basel exemplifies its huge cultural impact in this respect,” he continued. “Furthermore, its design concept is now perhaps more topical than ever: a role model of the ecologically and economically sensible, with the principles for a truly sustainable automobile of the future."

Giorgetto Giugiaro – 2018 GFG Sibylla GG 80

Regarded by many as the architect of the contemporary automobile, Giugiaro is the creator of models like the Fiat Panda, the VW Golf and the Lotus Esprit. In celebration of his 80th birthday, he’s presenting his most recent design: the electric GFG Sibylla, created by Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro in partnership with the smart energy management company, Envision. Elsewhere at the show, Giugiaro's first concept car – the Corvair Testudo – is also be on display.

Giugiaro is not only the 'car designer of the century' – he is also a true artist at heart, with a talent for human portraits. Presented at Grand Basel are three original Giugiaro paintings – Sammy Davis Jr, Indian and Pagliaccio – which act as a counterpart to the exhibition of his achievements in car design.

These are his 'youthful passions' set in the context of the work of his lifetime. The three portraits testify to different existences and contexts and confront the explosion of lines and functional forms at Grand Basel.

The Sibylla on show was produced for Mr. Giugiaro upon bespoke specifications. This first road legal example brings together beautiful design with clean energy, defining a car that integrates with a future new energy infrastructure. A four-seater with generous packaging at over five metres long, the Sibylla is also equipped with all-wheel drive.

Its design references the low, provocative and hedonistic cars designed by Giugiaro in the 1960s and 1970s, but is juxtaposed with the futuristic electric powertrain that drives the car.

Lapo Elkann – 2018 Fiat 500 Spiaggina by Garage Italia

When it comes to motion, design, creativity and style Lapo Elkann has been acclaimed for his unconventional yet uncompromising and disruptive taste. A successful entrepreneur, Elkann founded lifestyle brand Italia Independent, communications agency Independent Ideas, and Garage Italia in Milan, a melting pot of Italian style, design, culture and cuisine.

The idea of the original Fiat 500 Jolly 'Spiaggina' of 1958 came from Fiat boss and Elkann’s grandfather, Gianni Agnelli. He wanted a breezy summer car that could be carried on his yacht and that was light enough to be hauled ashore by the workforce. Remarkably, many of his Spiagginas were conceived as chauffeur driven limos.

Carrozzeria Ghia created the original Jolly based on the Fiat 500: it had no roof, no doors, and only a rudimentary wind deflector. The cabin was adorned with wicker chairs, and a basic frame onto which an awning could be attached. These features earned the car the nickname 'Spiaggina', Italian for 'beach chair'.

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Garage Italia has created a new 500 Spiaggina, built to exactly the same principles, but brought right up-to-date.

The new car has a shortened windshield and no roof, and the seats are upholstered in waterproofed leather. Instead of back seats, a cork-lined loading compartment incorporates a built-in shower – perfect for a refreshing spritz in hot summer weather. It will be offered to buyers on a custom order basis.

"Cars, design and art are among my greatest passions," said Lapo Elkann. "Innovation and contamination between different worlds - past, present and future - excite my heart and my brain, and the new 500 Spiaggina is a great example of this and the perfect fit for Grand Basel. It evokes beauty, positive energy, colours and good vibrations. It embodies 'La Dolce Vita' in its 4.0 version."

Photos: Grand Basel 2018