Benelli has become a point of reference for Italians. At the top of the sales charts hides a foreign soul.
The history of Benelli is very ancient. The first model dates back to 1919, a 75 cc, two-stroke engine, in an era when the most thought was given to pedaling on two wheels. In 1921 the project of Giuseppe, Giovanni, Filippo, Francesco, Domenico and Tonino Benelli was perfected. The Velomotore was launched, a 98 cc two-stroke motorcycle, presented in two models 125 cc Turismo and Sport.
In 1923 the first 150 displacement engine was born (147 cc to be precise) and the first commercial successes on the track also arrived promptly. The real triumph came with the 175 cm³ 4-stroke engine with “cascade” gear distribution and overhead camshaft from 1927.
For the time it was a brilliant solution and one that outlined the future of the Casa del Leoncino. Giuseppe Benelli developed a theoretical study of the engine by Edward Turner, published in 1925 by the French magazine Moto Revue, creating a masterpiece which later became a trademark of the brand.
The Italian was able to radically reinterpret the solution introducing a construction method to eliminate the negative effects of thermal expansion that afflicted these applications. A simple idea but one that no one had implemented. The five spur gears of the distribution (one of the crankshaft, three idlers, one of the camshaft) were placed in a thin aluminum folder, placed on one side of the engine.
Benelli reassembled the distribution “box” with the camshaft and rocker arms, guaranteeing a degree of freedom that had never been seen before. The idea was patented in 1927 and determined the boom of the Leoncino brand at an international level. Almost 100 years have passed since patent no. was filed. 255634 of 29 Oct. 1927 “Arrangement for forming and fixing the transmission housing for controlling the overhead camshaft in internal combustion engines” And Benelli is still envied all over the world for its top construction quality.
The new ownership of Benelli
The current list of the Leoncino brand is very vast. Motorcycles have been launched for all needs with an eye on prices. The company is under the control of the QJIAN JIANG group, the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer in China. Its total production is around 1,200,000 vehicles per year and it boasts over 14 thousand people in the factories. Benelli, despite the sale to the Chinese, has retained its historical DNAcharacterized by innovative technical solutions and cutting-edge design.
Benelli is going through a second youth since it was managed by the giant from the country of the Red Dragon. The 125 models have been at the top of sales lists for years.
The secret? A price within the reach of the mid-range and lines that are sporty and captivating. The boom of some models in Italy has been sensational in recent years. This was also confirmed by Susanna Carloni, head of Administration, Finance and Human Resources Management in Europe for Benelli.
The heart of production remained in Pesaro but the portfolio in Taizhou, China, where the Qianjiang Group, a company controlled by the Chinese major Geely Holding Group, is based. In 2021 the turnover was 94 million euros, but more than half of the revenues arrived in Italy alone. Numbers that have grown further in the last two years.
