Benelli is a legendary motorcycle label from Italy which was organized in 1911 by the Benelli family. The company started from a small workshop and soon became one of the most popular motorbike manufacturers.
Benelli is one of the Italian legendary brands, which is known all over the globe and considered to be an icon in the production of motorcycles. The company was established in 1911 in Pesaro, a small Italian city on the eastern coast of Italy, by the Benelli family, consisting of six brothers and their mother.
In the very beginning, it was more of a workshop, where the brothers repaired the old machinery, and produced some of the spare parts. Just eight years after the business establishment, the Benelli brothers have already produced their first engine. The engine was installed on a bicycle, and this is how the first ever Benelli motorbike saw the light.
In 1932 the family decided they were ready for expansion, and moved to a larger factory, producing two new motorcycle models in the same year. Since that time, Benelli has been surprising the world with its innovations and elegant design, releasing new and new models.
In 2005 Benelli was bought by the Chinese Qianjiang Group, so the production facilities of the company moved to China.
What is Benelli?
Benelli is the name of the Italian brand, which is strongly associated with stylish motorcycles. The company was established at the beginning of the 20th century and operated mainly in Europe, but in 2005 Benelli was acquired by the Chinese group and today all operations are held in Asia.
The initial Benelli logo from 1911 featured a bright intense circular badge with the inner part in grass green, the thick circular frame in sky-blue, the horizontally stretched rectangular banner with the lettering in red, and the additional accents and outlines in dark gold. The “Benelli” lettering in the uppercase of a simple sans-serif typeface was written in gold lines over the red background, complemented by the “Fratelli” and “Pesaro” inscriptions in the same style and color, arched along with the blue frame of the badge.
The redesign of 1925 removed the blue framing of the circular Benelli badge and replaced it with the gold leaves wreath, placed on a short white distance from the green and red badge. The wordmark was still set in the same color palette, but the typeface was a bit refined, so the inscription started looking more confident and professional. Above the intense and solid circle, there was an elegant gold five-pointed star set as the starting and finishing point of the gold wreath.
In 1932 the Benelli badge was redesigned again. The sky-blue shade was brought back to the logo, but this time it was used for the background of the new composition. The circle remained the main shape of the brand’s visual identity. The new version featured a light blue circle with a dark gold leaf frame, and a Ted banner with a white wordmark on it crossing the badge horizontally. Under the banner, there was a gold image of the lion, and above — three gold six-pointed stars. It was a very ornate badge, which stayed with the company for almost twenty years.
In 1951 the company starts using a minimalist and modest badge, composed of a bold italicized logotype in white, with a thin black outline. The title-case inscription was executed in a smooth custom cursive, with all massive yet fine letters glued to each other. This version of the logo looked professional, but a bit boring in comparison to all the previous bright badges of the brand.
Another redesign of the Benelli visual identity happened in 1972, and it was also about the logotype. But this time it was a more interesting and modern logo, executed in the dark gold shade, and written in a fancy and stylish serif typeface, created exclusively for the brand. Both letters “E” had their contours opened, and the upper ends of both letters “L” were cut diagonally and sharpened.
The first version of the most famous Benelli logo was introduced in 1995. It was a solid silver roundel in a green leafy-wreath frame, with the white silhouette of a heraldic tiger at the bottom, three five-pointed stars on top, and a bold black lettering in the center. Both the lion and the stars elements boasted a thin black outline, which was supported by the black color of the bold titlecase characters.
The redesign of 2004 has made the Benelli logo three-dimensional by adding silver gradients and gloss to the roundel. Now the green wreath was slightly inside the medallion, and the whole graphical element was placed above the bold black “Benelli” wordmark, executed in the recognizable corporate typeface, and repeating the inscription inside the silver emblem.
One of the oldest European brands of Motorcycles, Benelli boasts a very colorful visual identity.
The Benelli logo is composed of a circular emblem. The wordmark is located inside the circle of the emblem.
The Benelli insignia is a gradient silver medallion with a green wreath around its inner perimeter. Inside the wreath, there is a walking white lion and three white starts with a black outline. The brand’s name inscription is set in the middle.
The lion has been the symbol of the company since its early years. The graceful and strong animal is a representation of power and energy. While the stars point on the successful future of the brand.
The Benelli wordmark is executed in a classic bold typeface with diagonal line cuts.
The Benelli logo is timeless and elegant. It is a celebration of the brand’s legacy and strength. One of the most interesting and recognizable logos is the motorcycle industry. It is unique and colorful, perfectly balancing the immaculate design of the brand’s motorbikes.
The ExtraBold title case lettering from the primary Benelli badge is set in a fancy and elegant serif typeface with diagonal cuts of the lines and softened serifs at the ends of the bars. The closest fonts to the one, used in the Benelli insignia, are, probably, Verona TS Bold, or Bookmania Black, but with some modifications of the horizontal bars of the “E”s, which turned diagonal.
As for the color palette of the Benelli visual identity, it is based on a combination of green, silver, and white, with black used for the lettering and contouring. Green is a color, associated with growth and wealth, while white stands for loyalty and reliability, and black with silver add a sense of professionalism and confidence.