Benelli
After losing her husband, Teresa Benelli invested all of the family capital into a motorcycle business in 1911, hoping it would provide a place of work for her six sons; Giuseppe, Giovanni, Francesco, Filippo, Domenico and Antonio ("Tonino").
In the beginning the company simply repaired bicycles and motorcycles and it wasn’t until 1919 that the first Benelli machine appeared.
Riding a Benelli 175, Tonino Benelli won four Italian championship titles in five years between 1927 and 1931. His career was cut short after a bad crash in 1932 and his life was tragically cut short after an accident in 1937.
Production ceased during the war but resumed in 1949 and in 1969 Benelli introduced the Tornado 650, aimed at the UK and US markets. The bike weighed in at a hefty 480 pounds, despite this Benelli claimed it would reach 117mph.
During the 60’s the bikes went out of fashion as the Japanese motorcycles gained more than a foothold on the market.
In 1973 Benelli was purchased by Argentinian industrialist Alejandro de Tomaso together with Moto Guzzi.
Although technically advanced machines, Benelli’s became synonymous with mechanical failure, particularly during the 80’s and production finally stopped in 1988 and the company was merged with Moto Guzzi to create Guzzi Benelli Moto S.p.A.
Benelli is now part of motor Group Qianjiang, which is a corporation located in southeast China at Wenling. Benelli Q.J. is located in Pesaro where the previous proprietors based the facilities, keeping the whole workforce previously working at Benelli s.p.a.
Stay On The Black where at the Carole Nash 2009 Motorcycle Show to bring you all that’s shiny. 
Stay On The Black were at the press day of the Motorcycle Show at the NEC to bring you the latest and greatest 2 wheeled machines (not forgetting the girls!)
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