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| Style, innovation and personality: Today's Benelli |
The six Benelli brothers opened their first shop in 1911, funded by their widowed mother, Teresa Benelli, in a bid to keep the family together and give the boys jobs.
By 1920 they built their first motor in-house, and put it on a bicycle frame, 1921 saw the first Benelli motorcycle, so, the next logical step was to go racing.
By 1927, Antonio 'Tonino The Terrible' Benelli won the Italian 175cc national championship and again in '28,'30 and '31 his winning streak ended with his death in a “silly” automobile accident.
By 1939, the ultimate road racing prize in the world, the Isle of Man TT was won by Ted Mellors.
In 1950 Dario Ambrosini was on fire winning the Isle of Man TT, in the same year won the European GP championship and the Italian national championship.
From 1965 to 68 the Italian 250 and 350 championships were dominated by Benelli motorcycles in the hands of Tarquinio Provini and the legendary, Renzo Pasolini. Pasolini had a great rival, Giacomo Agostini, countless races had a 1 / 2 podium with the two sharing the top spots, if the MV Agusta didn't win it was a Benelli on the top podium.
The greatest prize again was won by Benelli on the Isle of Man, with Kel Carruthers, who also went on to win the GP world championship in the same year, 1969, also of note it was the last GP win on a four stroke until MotoGP went back to four stroke bikes in 2003.
Some of the world's greatest road racers rode factory Benelli motorcycles, Joey Dunlop, Phil Read, Mike Hailwood,
Geoff Duke, Jarno Saaranin, last race win was in '90 with Antonio Rossi and in 2001, Peter Goddard raced the Benelli Tornado Tre 900cc triple in the World Superbike championship.
Currently Benelli Australia, with help from former GP racer Mark Willis is campaigning TNT Sport models in the Australian naked bike series. The TNT's started in the first and second row in its maiden outing and has finished as high as third, so far. Lets not forget the land speed records set by Benelli during the last century. Benelli and racing, the legend continues. Corri con il Leone! |
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