The HELLA Story: More Than 125 Years of Lighting the Way

HELLA has built vehicle lighting since 1899. It started with acetylene lamps for horse-drawn carriages in Lippstadt, Germany, and grew into one of the top five automotive lighting suppliers in the world. MyHellaLights is where that engineering reaches U.S. drivers, the official online store of HELLA Automotive Sales, Inc.

What is HELLA?

HELLA is a German automotive lighting and electronics company founded in 1899. It designs and manufactures headlamps, signal lighting, driving and work lights, and vehicle electronics, and it supplies nearly every major carmaker in the world. In the United States, HELLA's off-road and performance lighting is sold directly through MyHellaLights, the official store of HELLA Automotive Sales, Inc. HELLA has been part of the FORVIA group since 2022.

For more than a century the constant has been optics: putting light exactly where a driver needs it and building the housing to survive whatever the vehicle drives through. That discipline is why a HELLA light bar on a race truck traces back to the same company that lit carriages in 1899.

How HELLA started in 1899

On 11 June 1899, Sally Windmüller founded Westfälische Metall-Industrie Aktien-Gesellschaft (WMI) in Lippstadt, Germany. The company made ball horns, candles, and kerosene lamps for carriages. Within a few years it was a mid-sized manufacturer exporting across Europe, and lighting became its center of gravity: the product line that would define the next century.

Where the HELLA name comes from

The HELLA name first appeared in 1908 as a trademark for an acetylene headlamp, the "System Hella." The most widely cited account is that Windmüller took the name from Helene, his wife, whose nickname was Hella. The company operated as WMI for decades and eventually adopted the name of its best-known product as its own.

HELLA's off-road and motorsport legacy

HELLA's reputation off pavement was earned in competition. Its Rallye driving lamps (the Rallye 3000 and the competition-grade Rallye 4000) became fixtures on rally cars and off-road racers, built with die-cast housings, weatherproof connectors, and stone shields for exactly that abuse. HELLA lamps have lit the Baja 1000, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. That racing lineage is the direct ancestor of the off-road lighting sold here today, and HELLA still shows up at events like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

HELLA today: part of FORVIA

In February 2022, the French supplier Faurecia completed its acquisition of a majority stake in HELLA, and the combined company was renamed FORVIA, the world's seventh-largest automotive supplier. HELLA continues to operate under its own name as FORVIA's lighting and electronics business. Its lighting division alone employs more than 18,500 people, and HELLA remains one of the top five automotive lighting suppliers globally.

What is MyHellaLights?

MyHellaLights is the official U.S. online store of HELLA Automotive Sales, Inc., the North American arm of HELLA. It sells genuine HELLA performance and off-road products directly to truck builders, off-roaders, overlanders, farmers, contractors, fleet operators, and emergency services. Every product is backed by the full HELLA manufacturer's warranty and sourced through the official channel, not grey-market imports. The business operates from Peachtree City, Georgia.

What HELLA makes for off-road and performance

The MyHellaLights catalog is organized by both product and application. The core lines are:

Performance lighting: Black Magic LED light bars (up to 20,000 lumens, 20" to 50", slim, double-row, and curved), the X-TREME series of LED driving lights and cubes, BLADE HP LED driving lamps, and LED cubes and pods. Work lighting: the HELLA ValueFit line (S3000, S5000, R2100, 4SQ, and 5RD) for agriculture, construction, and heavy equipment. Automotive: Vision Plus conversion headlamps in 4x6", 5.75", 5x7", and 7". Plus emergency and warning lights, Supertone horns, 2" leveling strut kits, and wiper blades.

How HELLA lights are engineered and tested

HELLA products are held to the same standards as the OEM lighting the company supplies to production vehicles. Lights are tested for light distribution, radiation intensity, vibration resistance, and environmental durability, and carry SAE/DOT and ECE certifications where applicable. Many off-road products are rated IP69K and sealed against water pressure up to 120 bar, and Black Magic light bars use temperature-control systems that hold output steady in extreme heat and cold. If you're weighing IP ratings, MyHellaLights breaks them down in its IP69K vs IP67 vs IP68 guide.

HELLA timeline

• 1899Sally Windmüller founds WMI in Lippstadt, Germany, making horns, candles, and carriage lamps.
• 1908The "System Hella" acetylene headlamp is trademarked, the first use of the HELLA name.
• 1960s–2000sHELLA's Rallye driving lamps become standard equipment in rally and off-road racing worldwide.
• 2022Faurecia acquires a majority stake in HELLA; the combined group is renamed FORVIA.
• 2024HELLA marks 125 years of vehicle lighting.

Frequently asked questions about HELLA

When was HELLA founded?

HELLA was founded on 11 June 1899 by Sally Windmüller in Lippstadt, Germany, originally as Westfälische Metall-Industrie Aktien-Gesellschaft (WMI). It has engineered vehicle lighting for more than 125 years.

Where does the name HELLA come from?

The HELLA name was first trademarked in 1908 for an acetylene headlamp. It is most commonly attributed to Helene, the wife of founder Sally Windmüller, whose nickname was Hella.

Is HELLA still in business?

Yes. HELLA operates as the lighting and electronics business of the FORVIA group, which was formed in 2022 when Faurecia acquired a majority stake in HELLA. It remains one of the top five automotive lighting suppliers in the world.

What is MyHellaLights?

MyHellaLights is the official U.S. online store of HELLA Automotive Sales, Inc., the North American arm of HELLA. It sells genuine HELLA off-road and performance lighting, backed by the full manufacturer's warranty, and operates from Peachtree City, Georgia.

Are HELLA lights good for off-road?

HELLA's off-road heritage runs through decades of rally and desert racing, including the Baja 1000. Its off-road lights, such as the Black Magic light bars and X-TREME driving lights, are built with die-cast or aluminum housings, IP69K sealing, and beam patterns engineered for spot, flood, and combo use.

Where can I buy genuine HELLA lights in the U.S.?

Genuine HELLA off-road and performance lighting is sold directly at myhellalights.com, the official store of HELLA Automotive Sales, Inc. Buying through the official channel means full manufacturer warranty coverage and no grey-market risk.

What does IP69K mean on a HELLA light?

IP69K is the highest ingress-protection rating for dust and high-pressure, high-temperature water. Many HELLA off-road lights carry it and are sealed against water pressure up to 120 bar, which is why they hold up to pressure washing and extreme weather.

Who owns HELLA?

HELLA is majority-owned by FORVIA, the automotive supplier created when Faurecia acquired roughly 79.5% of HELLA in 2022. HELLA remains a listed company operating under its own name and governance.