Ultimate Nautilus Joins Hills Hoist as an Iconic Good Design Awards Winner

The Nautilus, which took five years to develop, was celebrated by the judges (including former head of design for Holden Antony Solfon) for its commitment to form, function, safety and innovation and for possessing an expandable living space to rival larger caravans.

Awards chief executive Brendan Gein said it was evident that designers had been involved in the development of the Nautilus from the start.

“When I stepped in I thought, ‘wow’, they really conserved the interior of the design. All the latches, all the electrical outputs, the way the thing was parked and latched onto the ball joint — it was evident that everything had been beautifully thought-out,” Dr Gien said.

Ultimate Campers spokesperson Simon Don said the Nautilus had undergone rigorous testing throughout its design cycle, and performed well in an independent testing program conducted by the Advanced Centre for Automotive Research and Testing (ACART) — a collaborative undertaking between the Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited and the University of Melbourne.

The Design Awards program is 58 years old. The Ultimate Nautilus joins Aussie icons Hills Hoist, the ute and the Victor lawn mower as an inductee of the awards program.