Hela D 47, D 28

Founded in 1888, the agricultural machinery manufacturer Hermann Lanz had been producing tractors since 1929, initially under the brand Samson. Before the war, the brand changed to Hermann Lanz Aulendorf.

After the war, the French took the factory machines as war reparations. Production resumed in 1947, when the D 47, named after the year, was introduced. Technically, it was a very typical German tractor, but compared to some competitors, it was low-built and fairly lightweight. The engine was a 2.4-liter MWM producing 22 hp. The transmission was self-made and had 5+1 gears. A differential lock was standard. The design showed cost-saving on the hood. The color was gray or machine green, depending on availability.

A slightly more powerful model, the D 28, was introduced with a 2.85-liter engine.

By 1950, there was some design refinement, such as a grille in front of the radiator, and the color became standardized to their own green. Alongside the MWM engine in the D47, a Deutz engine was offered.

The larger Lanz company based in Mannheim demanded giving up the use of the Lanz name for tractors, and in 1951 the tractor brand changed from Hermann Lanz Aulendorf to the previously used abbreviation Hela.