HELLA commemorates 125th birthday with prize giveaways

Automotive parts supplier HELLA is commemorating 125 years since first being founded in Germany, and also 65 years since its UK arm opened, with a special competition that has 125 HELLA merchandise products up for grabs with the winners being announced on the company’s official birthday on 11 June.

HELLA first appeared in 1899 as WestfälischeMetallIndustrie AG (WMI) in Lippstadt, Germany, where the company focused on paraffin lamps and bulb horns for the nascent automotive sector. The name HELLA emerged in 1908 as the brand for the company’s range of acetylene gas headlamps.

HELLA commemorates 125th birthday

Many more innovations were brought forward over the years, including the first electrical generator, red tail lights and yellow brake lights in 1915, and the first headlight to offer dipped and main beam as symmetrical light from one lamp in 1924.

Fast-forward to the post-war period, and the late 1950s saw HELLA expanding across the world, including opening in the UK for the first time in 1959, and Australia in 1961. In 1962, the company introduced the first auxiliary lamp to use a halogen bulb, and 1965 saw the first electronic flasher unit, inaugurating the electronic era for vehicles.

New ideas abounded through the years, including the first xenon headlamps in 1991, with mass production just one year later. Looking towards the ADAS revolution, the first front camera with traffic sign recognition came out in 2007. In 2021, HELLA and Faurecia agreed to a strategic collaboration, which ultimately led to the formation of the new parent company Forvia.

Prize giveaways

HELLA UK managing director Neil Grant said:

“Since expanding around the globe, HELLA has become a familiar name in workshops everywhere with over 125 locations in around 35 countries, including the UK and Ireland. To celebrate the milestone, we’re putting limited-edition HELLA merch into the hands of our loyal customers worldwide.”

You can enter the competition by following this link; prizes include vouchers and an array of branded items, with the biggest being a Masters at Work football table. The 125 winners from across Europe will be drawn and notified on 11 June 2024, exactly 125 years since the company first opened its doors.