Nugget Turns 40 With a Retro Road Trip Down Memory Lane

The first Nugget was launched back in 1986 and was converted by camper specialists Westfalia in Germany. The company took the original van, used the spacious, good-to-drive Ford Transit as a base and added an interior combining home comforts on the road with five seats and plenty of storage.

In an era where road trips tended to mean a huge, boxy motorhome that otherwise sat on the driveway for 50 weeks a year, the Nugget’s mix of compact camping and everyday practicality meant it appealed to heart and head.

The front seats spun to face the rear bench in a cosy living area, and at night the bench flattened into a downstairs bed, with another double bed up in the pop-top or fixed high top roof. A kitchen unit with sink, fridge and gas stove ran along the rear so you could cook inside or open the tailgate and use it as a shelter or shade while enjoying the great outdoors. 

Barry Quested, Ford Nugget brand manager, told @Ford: “We’ve come a long way from the original — back then you got a cigarette lighter and a giant gearstick between the seats for the manual gearbox. Today we have a touchscreen and electrified hybrid power — but Nugget’s core spirit remains. The blueprint of a comfy camper that could sleep four people while also being compact and practical enough for a family vehicle made Nugget a favourite for 40 years.”

Transit’s robust mechanicals have provided the basis for decades of adventures. Several early Nuggets are still satisfying their owners’ wanderlust, even with hundreds of thousands of holiday kilometres behind them. Today, these campers are rightly seen as classics and can command strong money from fans looking for nostalgic getaways.

This innovative and effective layout has since become a Nugget hallmark. Even today, every version of the Nugget keeps this L-shaped design at the heart of the living space.

In 2013, another major change for Transit meant another new Nugget model. Ford introduced the all-new Transit Custom to deliver more comfort and equipment, a stylish new cabin and a more car-like driving experience — all plus points for the hard-working businesses who bought it as a van, and perfect for Nugget customers spending days on the road.

Barry adds: “The Transit Custom Nugget generated so much interest that we decided to expand its horizons. Having previously only been sold in Germany, our camper was now available directly through Ford dealerships in multiple countries with a full warranty, making buying and maintaining one as easy as buying any other Ford.”

Responding to customers’ appetite for more than a Nugget, Ford together with Westfalia built the 2019 Big Nugget Concept to explore potential features for future camper models.

The van wowed the crowds at the 2019 Caravan Salon in Duesseldorf, Germany — the leading show of its kind in the world — and proved that there’s no substitute for talking to fans about their travels and sharing ideas when developing next-generation products.

The Big Nugget took full advantage of the extra space available in the larger Transit. New features included a fully separate bathroom with shower, toilet and washbasin, as well as a rear-mounted double bed that ran the full width of the van. The 13 m² of living space included a side-mounted kitchen with 70-litre fridge — more than enough to chill a few bottles of the local good stuff for a refreshing drink while watching the sunset.  

Fast forward to 2021, Ford introduced the adventurous Nugget Active and rugged Nugget Trail models. These new models offered exterior cladding for scuff protection, trick mechanicals for increased grip on the beach or in muddy festival car parks, and even optional heating for the rear bench.

“Imagine navigating an autumnal forest road in your new Nugget Trail, spending the day mountain biking or trail running and arriving back at the van knowing there’s an outdoor shower to hose down your kit, a heated bed to lie on and a kitchen for hot drinks and dinner,” says Barry. “Wonderful.”

The current fifth generation of Nugget launched in 2023, keeping the same much-loved layout but introducing all-wheel drive and plug-in hybrid powertrain options for the first time.

This model is also a quantum leap forward for comfort and kit; totally new suspension, a more car-like driving position, 5G connectivity and a fully digital cockpit makes the newest Nugget a relaxing way to eat up the miles as well as enjoy your destination.

As Nugget turns 40, Ford has introduced a retro-styled commemorative edition, inspired by the design of the original 1986 Nugget. The limited-edition anniversary model features a black-and-white colour scheme on the exterior stripes, interior units and yacht-style wooden floor, complemented with exclusive badging inside and out.

“This special edition celebrates four decades of breakfasts in the wild, nights under the stars and the simple joy of waking up somewhere new every day,” Barry explains. “Here’s to another 40 years of freewheeling spirit and dreaming of hitting the road.”