Hela D 540 – D 548, D 254 - D 260

The D 540 and D 548 were the first Hela models equipped with the new two-part grille in 1965. These models, powered by a 3-cylinder Hela engine, were closely related to the D 138 and D 45. The most significant difference was the new Hela 9+4 gearbox, offering speeds from 0.7 to 27.4 km/h. Aside from engine power, the only other difference between the models was the tire size. The lift capacity of the lifting device with Bosch hydraulics was rated at 1600 kg.

In 1966, the D 254 was introduced, equipped with a 54-horsepower 4-cylinder MWM engine. Its gearbox was a ZF 8+4. The D 254 was the first Hela tractor available with four-wheel drive. The four-wheel-drive model featured hydrostatic steering.

Between 1969-71, a few D 254 tractors were also produced with a 3.4-liter 60 hp engine.

In 1970, the actual 60 hp production model D 260 was introduced. It had the same MWM engine but a ZF 16+8 gearbox. The rear-wheel-drive model remained more popular than the four-wheel-drive. In 1974, the D 260's engine increased to 4.2 liters and 70 horsepower.