HOFELE (HOFELE-Design GmbH) is a super-luxury custom car brand originating from Germany, headquartered in Stuttgart, the center of the German automotive industry, with core bases in Sindelfingen and Donzdorf. The brand was founded in 1915 by Carl Hofele and now boasts over a century of history. HOFELE possesses automotive production qualification certification granted by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (KBA), is recognized as an automobile manufacturer by SAE International, and holds the World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), enjoying legal qualifications for manufacturing whole vehicles and modifications on a global scale.
HOFELE's brand positioning is that of a super-luxury customization expert with deep official cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Its core businesses cover high-end custom car design, whole vehicle development and manufacturing, and high-performance parts R&D. The brand takes creating infinite possibilities for users as its core concept. Through exclusive private customization services, it pushes the S-Class, GLS, G-Class, and even Maybach models within the Mercedes-Benz lineup to the extreme of luxury. Unlike BRABUS, which is also an official Mercedes-Benz partner but focuses on extreme performance tuning, HOFELE's core advantage lies in styling design, material craftsmanship, and luxury quality, committed to creating unique exclusive cars for the global high-net-worth consumer group. The Chinese name "Hofele" was established when the brand officially entered the Chinese market in 2019.
Origins and Brand Heritage (1915–1970s): The brand's history can be traced back to 1915. In that year, founder Carl Hofele joined the BENZ & Cie company, founded by the inventor of the world's first car, Carl Benz, in Waldhof Town, Mannheim, Germany. He served as a structural designer, mastering the core technologies of aircraft manufacturing engineering during this period. This experience laid a solid technical foundation for the Hofele family to deepen their work in automotive design in the future. Throughout the entire 20th century, multiple generations of the Hofele family continued to cultivate in this field. In 1946, Bruno Hofele, the second generation leader of HOFELE, deeply participated in the early design work of the Mercedes-Benz legendary off-road vehicle Unimog; in 1951, Unimog was formally adopted by Daimler-Benz and used to this day, becoming an important milestone in the brand's history. In 1974, the Hofele brothers (Michael Hofele and Martin Hofele) drove the "HOFELE Race Car" equipped with a unique paint scheme to participate in several rallies. The experience and exposure accumulated in these events laid an important foreshadowing for the brand's later professional development in the high-end customization field.
Formal Establishment and Business Take-off (1983–2010s): In 1983, HOFELE-DESIGN GmbH was officially established in Germany, marking the brand's trend towards systematization and professionalism in the field of high-end car design and customization. Subsequently, Mercedes-Benz models designed with HOFELE's participation, with their exquisite and unique style, became representatives of automotive design trends and high technological standards. The brand gradually established its leading position in the automotive design and high-end customization industry. In 2010, HOFELE's SR8 concept car based on the Audi A8 won the "Sport Auto" award issued by European Motor Magazine. In the same year, it received the "25 Global Export Excellence Award" issued by the Chamber of Commerce, marking that its professional capabilities had been widely recognized by the industry. In 2017, with excellent customization services, HOFELE sold more than 500 high-end custom cars in the European market, with a single unit price exceeding 1.5 million RMB.
Becoming an Official Partner of Mercedes-Benz (2018 to Present) In 2018, HOFELE-Design GmbH was appointed by Daimler AG as an official contract partner in the Mercedes-Benz brand modification vehicle field, fully responsible for the supply and implementation of personalized modification solutions for the full range of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. In April 2019, HOFELE made a high-profile appearance at the Shanghai International Auto Show and officially entered the Chinese market. In the same year, HOFELE reached a strategic cooperation with Ping An Car Steward under the Ping An Insurance Group, jointly expanding the domestic high-end custom car consumption market. As of 2026, HOFELE remains one of the most important customization partners within the Mercedes-Benz system, with mature sales and service systems built in multiple major markets globally.
HOFELE is not an automobile manufacturer in the traditional sense, but a brand centered on "high-end customization". Its product system covers complete upgrade and customization services for the Mercedes-Benz and Maybach car series.
S-Class Sedan Series: HOFELE invested the top design and craftsmanship resources in the customization field of S-Class and Maybach S-Class models. Representative works include HOFELE MAYBACH S450 4MATIC and HOFELE S450L 4MATIC. Both models were designed and upgraded based on the Maybach S450, highly integrating modern aesthetics and luxurious elegance. In terms of appearance, the HOFELE exclusive logo replaced the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star. The grille and front bumper were reshaped specially. The combination of silver MYTHOS multi-spoke alloy wheels and high-gloss chrome trim significantly improved luxury recognition. For the interior, front and rear dual-color comfortable leather seats with perforation were adopted, supplemented with Alcantara material headrests and floor mats, and matched with custom ambient lighting and high-end audio systems, presenting an extreme comfort experience.
GLS/GLE SUV Series: HOFELE launched the "Ultimate Series" for GLS and GLE. The series takes two-tone high-grade car paint as the visual core, matching with Hofele Mythos 22-inch wheels, retaining the characteristic window trim, bumper cover, and grille treatment of the Mercedes-Benz GLS. The overall style is more simple and grand. The GLS series' power system covers all configurations from GLS 350d to the top AMG GLS 63; taking GLS 400d as an example, it is equipped with a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 diesel engine, with a maximum output of 326 horsepower and 700 Newton-meters torque.
G-Class Series: HOFELE launched a large number of innovative customization schemes on the G-Class. The representative work Ultimate HG, in addition to conventional appearance and power upgrades, also changed the rear seat from a standard three-seat layout to a VIP two-seat layout, using Nappa leather and Alcantara suede materials to create a luxurious atmosphere. The rear seats feature electric adjustment, massage, ventilation, and heating functions, centrally controlled by a central touch screen. Hofele also launched a six-seat version G63, adding two seats to the third row on the basis of the G-Class standard two-row layout. The power remains unchanged, equipped with a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbocharged engine, with a maximum output of 577 horsepower and 850 Newton-meters torque.
Convertible Sports Car Series: HOFELE is also involved in the convertible sports car field. The representative work HE Cabrio is based on the AMG E53 Cabrio, continuing the brand's core strategy of focusing on exterior and interior luxury upgrades. In addition, the HOFELE product line also covers the full range of Mercedes-Benz models, including GLC, C-Class, E-Class, CLS, A-Class, and CLA. The specifications and scope of its customization products almost cover all mainstream passenger car series of Mercedes-Benz.
As a super-luxury custom car brand, HOFELE's market performance is difficult to measure using traditional mass-produced automobile sales data. HOFELE's core business model is characterized by "extremely low production volume, extremely high unit price", focusing on exclusive customization services for high-net-worth individuals. In 2017, HOFELE sold more than 500 high-end custom cars in the European market, with a single unit price exceeding 1.5 million RMB, reflecting its extremely strong product premium ability. Since then, the brand has not publicly disclosed specific annual sales data.
HOFELE-Design GmbH has about 11 core employees in Germany, with an annual revenue of about 4.425 million USD. The revenue data highly matches the brand's business model of long-term small-batch customized production. The brand's development goal in the Chinese market is: 600 units sold in China in 2019, planning to develop 12 key cities and regional dealers in the Chinese market within two years, and establish a sales network covering the whole country. However, public data shows that this goal was ultimately not fully realized. The brand has still been in the stage of deep cultivation in specific consumer groups in the Chinese market to this day. As of 2026, the car model database of the Chinese automotive vertical media SUV Auto Network lists the products under HOFELE as "discontinued". This may reflect the slowing of product updates and market promotion rhythm in recent years. HOFELE still maintains an industry status on par with brands like BRABUS, Mansory, and Carlsson in the global high-end customization field, but its market volume has always been far smaller than large-scale mass-produced automobile manufacturers.
HOFELE has never involved the independent R&D of completely new engines or chassis platforms. Its core competitiveness lies in the extreme pursuit of exterior design, interior craftsmanship, ergonomics, and materials science.
Exterior Design and Aerodynamic Kits: HOFELE is famous for its fully self-designed and developed complete exterior upgrade system, covering front and rear bumpers, grille, wheels, side skirts, fender extension parts, and rear wings and other complete components. Taking the AMG G63 modified version as an example, the front and rear bumpers, wheel arches, and radiator grilles all use carbon fiber materials, and a grille in the same color as the body is provided as an option. The front and rear extended wheel arches of the Ultimate HG are all made of carbon fiber products with a high-gloss black paint scheme. Matching with the LED light strip above the front windshield and the carbon fiber spare tire cover, it forms a highly recognizable appearance language. Wheel specifications cover multiple sizes such as 22 inches, 23 inches, and 24 inches, for customers to customize according to needs.
Luxury Interior Craftsmanship: Interior customization is the core technology and brand value of HOFELE. The brand uses a large number of top materials such as Nappa high-grade perforated leather, Alcantara suede fabric, and cashmere carpets, pushing the tactile and visual experience inside the cockpit to the extreme. Representative interior craftsmanship includes: front and rear dual-color seats using comfortable leather with perforation and matched with precise diamond pattern stitching; roof lining, A/B/C pillars, and rear seat headrests wrapped in Alcantara material; carbon fiber trim panels integrated in the center console and door trim plates; custom welcome pedals with light-up functions are equipped at the threshold. HOFELE also provides patented electrically deployable and retractable side steps, which greatly improve the convenience of getting on and off while retaining the side exhaust system of the AMG G63.
Power Tuning and Chassis Optimization: In terms of power, HOFELE's upgrade route is relatively restrained, mainly providing ECU performance improvement programs (i.e., "chip tuning") adapted to the original factory engine, rather than large-scale replacement of hardware power systems. In terms of handling, the brand provides progressive sport spring kits and coilover suspension systems, and is equipped with E-Active Body Control air suspension systems, which can adjust the body posture visually to adapt to different driving scenarios.
Innovative Door Design: One of the most distinctive technical innovations of HOFELE is successfully transplanting the Rolls-Royce signature "Coach Doors" to the Mercedes-AMG G63. This design not only greatly improves the convenience for rear passengers to get on and off but also brings unparalleled sense of ritual and visual shock, attracting widespread attention in the industry.
HOFELE's headquarters and core design and production bases are located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, concentrated in three major locations: Stuttgart, Sindelfingen, and Donzdorf. The brand's global sales and service network covers multiple major luxury car consumption areas, including Europe, North America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.
In Europe, the brand showcases its latest custom models to the German-speaking region and the broader European market through showrooms, such as those at the Zurich Auto Show in Switzerland. In the North American market, HOFELE imports models through cooperation with local high-end automobile retailers and customization studios. In oil-rich regions such as the Middle East and the UAE, HOFELE has attracted significant attention from top-tier buyers, establishing a local display and sales system.
In the Chinese market, HOFELE officially adopted the Chinese name "Hofele" at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2019. Beijing Zhonghai Guoxin Automobile Import & Export Trade Co., Ltd. acts as the sole agency for selling Hofele brand cars in mainland China. From 2020 to 2022, Hofele authorized Zhonghai Guoxin to initiate sales operations in the Chinese market and launched flexible automobile financial leasing plans in collaboration with Ping An Car Steward to promote high-end custom car consumption concepts to Chinese users.
As of 2026, HOFELE's future strategy will continue to center on deepening its super-luxury customization services for the full range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. With the global automotive industry accelerating its transformation towards electrification and intelligence, HOFELE is exploring extending its product line to include Mercedes-Benz EQ series pure electric models. The brand has previously displayed custom modification works based on the EQC electric vehicle model, laying a preliminary technical and experiential foundation for future full-line electrification.
The brand's "Ultimate Series" will continue to serve as the flagship product line, consistently catering to the global top-tier consumer group pursuing extreme luxury and unique driving experiences. In the Asian market, particularly in China—the world's largest luxury car market—HOFELE plans to continue promoting cooperation with distribution partners. By relying on customized experiences, the scarcity of limited editions, and exclusive service systems, the brand aims to further establish recognition and loyalty among high-net-worth individuals. At the same time, HOFELE will maintain its core identity as an official Mercedes-Benz partner, committed to upholding the highest standards in product compliance and original factory quality control, thereby ensuring its industry status in the field of super-luxury automotive customization.
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