About Umnitza

Where the name comes from

Umnitza was founded in the spring of 2000 by the owner because quality lighting was not available at a reasonable price for certain vehicles. It was originally intended to provided hard to find, unique products, but has since shifted and expanded the focus to provide better and more expansive custom, off the shelf, and unique products and services.

The name "umnitza" (pronounced: "ooom" • "knee" • "tza" comes from a Russian word meaning "clever, intuitively smart, sharp-witted" — chosen because of a variety of market driven factors.

What we do

The idea was simple: the internet couldn't beat a local store on standard parts, but it was perfect for items you can't normally find at your local parts counter. Umnitza grew mostly by word of mouth and now reaches enthusiasts across 120+ online groups and forums, with two physical locations in California.

What started as just over 50 products has grown to 100,000+ items. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, we specialize in automotive lighting for enthusiast markets — with deep roots in the BMW and Lexus communities. Through partnerships with leading brands we secure real discounts and pass the savings on. We are currently a top tier automotive dealer of Morimoto and Diode Dynamics as well as financing, manufacturing, and promoting our own brands.

What we're committed to

• Supporting customers and installers with quality guidance.

• Delivering quality products at competitive prices.

• Wisdom (can't find that from online pop ups that disappear quickly)

Sponsorships

We no longer offer direct sponsorships except when we directly reach out to promote newly released products. What we usually seek are: a meaningful social reach, feature potential at major shows and trade events, existing Umnitza installs, and overall genuine community influence. We do not accept submissions for sponsorship at this time.