Kamei

KAMEI is a German automotive accessories brand founded in 1952 by Karl Meier in Wolfsburg. The company name is derived from the initials of its founder. KAMEI specialises in the development, production and distribution of accessory parts for passenger cars, and over more than seven decades has built a reputation for high-quality materials, elaborate processing and rigorous final assembly. Its roots lie in automotive design, and numerous innovations in interior and exterior design — such as the spoiler and the steering wheel cover — are attributed to the company. In its early years KAMEI focused on products that upgraded the interior of the Volkswagen Beetle. In 1952 it presented the first safety headrests for passenger cars, a further development of the earlier 'Schlummerrollen' (sleep rolls), which are now standard safety equipment in every automobile. In 1953 Karl Meier showed the first spoiler for road vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show — a front attachment for the VW Beetle called 'Tiefensteuer' that increased downforce on the front axle at speeds above 100 km/h. In 1964 the licensed AVUS steering wheel cover made of Porotherm was launched; it went on to sell more than 100 million units worldwide and remains by far the most successful steering wheel cover in the world. In the 1970s KAMEI began series production of a retrofittable front spoiler for the VW Beetle, based on the 1953 Tiefensteuer. The roof box programme started in 1988 with the Traveller Box, which today is one of the company's flagship product lines. Other add-on parts included front bonnet spoilers for the VW Golf I and headlight covers ('böser Blick') for various vehicles, all with ABE (general operating permit). In 1989 the subsidiary KAMEI Automotive GmbH was founded, specialising in roof attachments, consoles and operating equipment for special-purpose and authority vehicles. At the end of the 1990s the Kamei Beetster was presented at the IAA and the Essen Motor Show: a sporty, drivable fun-car prototype based on the VW New Beetle with roll bars, add-on parts made of through-dyed Durokam, leather bucket seats and mirror-polished BBS aluminium wheels. Since 2006 KAMEI has supplied roof boxes in Mercedes-Benz's own design, and since 2009 it has provided roof boxes and various plastic body add-on parts for Volkswagen Zubehör GmbH. The company offers a six-year warranty on every roof box — a promise it states no other manufacturer makes. Its roof box 'Fosco' has received the iF Design Award. Safety is a core value: alongside internal quality checks, KAMEI has its products intensively tested by independent institutions, and only products meeting the highest safety requirements are included in the KAMEI programme. In mid-August 2023 it became known that KAMEI GmbH & Co. KG had filed for insolvency proceedings at the Braunschweig Local Court. In mid-January 2024 it was announced that the roof box business (23 employees) would be taken over by Uebler GmbH (80 employees) based in Forchheim. The business with accessories for commercial vehicles and authority vehicles, bundled in Kamei Automotive GmbH, continued under the founding Meier family. On 20 November 2025 Kamei Automotive GmbH again applied for insolvency proceedings; business operations with 15 employees are being continued.

KAMEI was founded in 1952 by Karl Meier in Wolfsburg, Germany. The company name is formed from the initial letters of the founder's name. From the beginning, KAMEI specialised in the manufacture and distribution of accessory parts for passenger cars, with an early focus on products that upgraded the interior of the Volkswagen Beetle. In the 1950s KAMEI introduced several groundbreaking products. In 1952 it presented the first safety headrests for passenger cars, a further development of the earlier 'Schlummerrollen' (sleep rolls); these are now part of the standard safety equipment of every automobile. In 1953 Karl Meier showed the first spoiler for road vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show — an attachment for the VW Beetle that replaced the front bumper and increased downforce on the front axle at speeds above 100 km/h. KAMEI called this component 'Tiefensteuer'. In 1964 the licensed AVUS steering wheel cover made of Porotherm was launched; it sold more than 100 million units worldwide and remains by far the most successful steering wheel cover in the world. In the 1970s KAMEI started series production of a retrofittable front spoiler for the VW Beetle, based on the Tiefensteuer first shown in Geneva in 1953. The roof box programme began in 1988 with the Traveller Box, which today is one of the company's flagship product lines. Other add-on parts included front bonnet spoilers for the VW Golf I and headlight covers ('böser Blick') for various vehicles, all with ABE (general operating permit). In 1989 the subsidiary KAMEI Automotive GmbH was founded, specialising in the production of roof attachments, consoles and operating equipment for special-purpose and authority vehicles. At the end of the 1990s the Kamei Beetster was presented at the IAA and the Essen Motor Show: a sporty, drivable fun-car prototype based on the VW New Beetle with roll bars, add-on parts made of through-dyed Durokam, leather bucket seats and mirror-polished BBS aluminium wheels. Since 2006 KAMEI has supplied roof boxes in Mercedes-Benz's design, and since 2009 it has provided roof boxes and various plastic body add-on parts for Volkswagen Zubehör GmbH. The company offers a six-year warranty on every roof box, which it states no other manufacturer offers. Its roof box 'Fosco' received the iF Design Award. Safety is a core value: alongside internal quality checks, KAMEI has its products intensively tested by independent institutions, and only products meeting the highest safety requirements are included in the KAMEI programme. In mid-August 2023 it became known that KAMEI GmbH & Co. KG had filed an application to open insolvency proceedings at the Braunschweig Local Court. In mid-January 2024 it was announced that the roof box business (23 employees) would be taken over by Uebler GmbH (80 employees) based in Forchheim. The business with accessories for commercial vehicles and authority vehicles, bundled in Kamei Automotive GmbH, continued under the founding Meier family. On 20 November 2025 Kamei Automotive GmbH again applied for insolvency proceedings; business operations with 15 employees are being continued.

• KAMEI founded by Karl Meier in Wolfsburg; presents first safety headrests for passenger cars.

• Karl Meier shows the first spoiler for road vehicles (Tiefensteuer) at the Geneva Motor Show.

• Market launch of the licensed AVUS steering wheel cover made of Porotherm; over 100 million units sold worldwide.

• Series production of a retrofittable front spoiler for the VW Beetle begins.

• Introduction of the roof box programme with the Traveller Box.

• Subsidiary KAMEI Automotive GmbH founded, specialising in roof attachments and equipment for special-purpose and authority vehicles.

• Kamei Beetster fun-car prototype presented at the IAA and Essen Motor Show.

• KAMEI begins supplying roof boxes in Mercedes-Benz design.

• KAMEI begins supplying roof boxes and plastic body add-on parts for Volkswagen Zubehör GmbH.

• KAMEI GmbH & Co. KG files for insolvency at the Braunschweig Local Court.

• Uebler GmbH takes over the roof box business (23 employees).

• Kamei Automotive GmbH again applies for insolvency proceedings; operations continue with 15 employees.

Premium quality automotive accessories with a focus on safety, design and German engineering.

• Roof boxes

  KAMEI's flagship product line, including models such as the Fosco, which received the iF Design Award. Six-year warranty on every roof box.

• Traveller Box

  The first roof box model introduced in 1988, marking the start of KAMEI's roof box programme.

• AVUS steering wheel cover

  Licensed steering wheel cover made of Porotherm, launched in 1964; over 100 million units sold worldwide.

• Tiefensteuer front spoiler

  First spoiler for road vehicles, presented in 1953 for the VW Beetle; increased front axle downforce at high speeds.

• Safety headrests

  First safety headrests for passenger cars, presented in 1952; now standard equipment in every automobile.

• Plastic body add-on parts

  Various plastic components for automotive manufacturers and the accessory trade, including spoilers and headlight covers.

1. 1Kamei: Kameikamei.de
2. 2Kamei: Über unskamei.de
3. 3Kameiwikidata.org
4. 4Kameide.wikipedia.org