HELLA is commemorating two significant milestones this year—125 years since its inception in Germany and 65 years since the opening of its UK arm.
To celebrate both, HELLA is running a special competition, offering 125 HELLA merchandise products to lucky winners, who will be announced on the company’s official birthday next month.
Neil Grant, HELLA UK Managing Director, said:
“To celebrate the milestone, we’re putting limited-edition HELLA merch into the hands of our loyal customers worldwide.”
The prizes include vouchers, an array of branded items, and a ‘Masters at Work’ football table. The 125 winners will be drawn and notified on 11 June 2024, marking exactly 125 years since the company first opened its doors.
HELLA, originally WestfälischeMetallIndustrie AG (WMI), was established in 1899 and had its headquarters in Lippstadt, Germany. Its initial products were paraffin lamps and bulb horns for the developing automobile industry. The HELLA brand was created in 1908 by the firm in response to its acetylene gas headlight range. Over the years, HELLA has pioneered many innovations, including the first electrical generator, the first headlight to produce symmetrical light from a single lamp for both the main and dipped beams, and the first tail lights and yellow brake lights.
In the late 1950s, HELLA began expanding globally, opening in the UK in 1959 and Australia in 1961. Neil added, “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.”
The business kept innovating, launching the first electronic flasher unit in 1965, the first halogen auxiliary lamp in 1962, the first xenon headlamps in 1991, and the first front camera with traffic sign recognition in 2007.
Forvia, the new parent company, was formed in 2021 as a result of a strategic agreement between HELLA and Faurecia.
To enter the HELLA 125th birthday prize draw, visit the competition website here.