Benelli logo history: A symbol of speed, style, and innovation
Those who love speed, adventure, and luxury will surely be familiar with the Benelli logo.
The Benelli Motorcycles logo is widely to be considered a symbol of excellence in the automotive landscape, highlighting the unique origins of the brand, its focus on precision engineering, and its commitment to exceptional design.
Today, the Benelli logo has a presence across the globe, capturing the hearts and minds of customers with a combination of stunning graphics and beautifully positioned lettering. The stars of the Benelli logo, its lion mascot, and even the color choices all say something special about the brand.
However, while many consumers will recognize the Benelli logo today, most don’t know how the emblem began or why it evolved. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the Benelli logo history, charting the course of the brand’s unique visual identity through the years.
Introducing the Benelli motorcycles logo
Benelli, or Benelli Q.J, is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer currently based in the Marche region of Pesaro. The brand is best known for producing high-quality scooters and motorcycles, which it ships to customers all around the globe.
Currently, Benelli is owned by the larger Chinese company Qianjiang Motorcycle, which falls under the ownership of the Geely Holding Group.
First established in 1911, Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle companies still in operation today. The company was originally established by Teresa Boni Benelli and her husband.
After her husband passed away, the widow invested all of her money into the business, hoping to create an opportunity for her six sons later in life.
The organization has simple roots, starting as a garage responsible for repairing motorcycles and bicycles for local consumers. However, even in the early years, Benelli had the technology required to produce spare parts for automotive machines from scratch.
In the First World War, Benelli even helped to fix the parts on Italian machines.
In 1919, Benelli introduced its first motorcycle to the public, a two-stroke 75 cc model adapted to suit a bicycle frame. The most successful engine produced by the company was developed in 1927, and it quickly became a trademark of the Pesaro house.
Over the years, Benelli made a name for itself as one of the most innovative motorcycle brands of all time.
Benelli logo history: The Benelli bike logo through the years
Over a century of operation, Benelli has made a handful of changes to its logo, updating its visual identity to match the evolving marketplace.
While many aspects of the company’s emblem have evolved over the years, some core components have remained relatively consistent for decades, such as the use of stars and a lion figure in the design.
Benelli logo history began in 1911, with the development of the Benelli company. The first design was a brightly colored badge featuring an intense wordmark in the middle, set on a banner. The Benelli emblem was surrounded by a circle with spokes around the edges.
Within this design, we see a host of different colors, from bright red to deep green and gold. The words “Fratelli” and “Pesaro” also appear at the bottom and top of the logo. Highlighting the location where the organization was first founded.
In 1925, Benelli created a simpler but more ornate logo. The blue framing in the circular badge was removed and replaced with a wreath of golden leaves. The wordmark still appeared in the same color palette, but the lettering was refined to make the image look more professional.
Above the intense green circle and the laurel wreath, Benelli introduced a bright golden star with five points to symbolize excellence.
Two of the core elements of the Benelli logo most people know today were introduced in 1932: the lion and the three stars. The circular shape of the logo remained, but the laurel wreath was made more detailed and extravagant.
Within the circle, we see a golden lion standing with one paw raised on a green field, surrounded by blue sky.
The Benelli wordmark was also refined again here, with a bright white font choice for better contrast with the red banner. The star was also transformed into a set of three stars with six points each.
In an interesting departure from the previous ornate designs, Benelli began using a minimalistic wordmark as its logo in the 1950s. The emblem featured the name of the company in a sleek italicized logotype with a thin black outline.
The title-case inscription featured a smooth, modern cursive, with the letters placed very close to each other.
During the 70s, Benelli took a more elegant approach to its logo. The simple wordmark was updated to feature a golden font with a stylish serif typeface. The “e” letters in the wordmark had open contours, while the letter “l” featured diagonal cuts towards the top.
1995
In 1995, Benelli returned to its origins to a certain degree, introducing a new badge-style logo featuring many of the elements of previous designs. The laurel wreath was re-introduced, this time in green on a silver circular background.
Within the silver emblem, we see an outline of the Benelli lion, the refined Benelli wordmark depicted in black, and three five-pointed stars. The insignia is a beautiful combination of modernity and history, designed to remind customers of Benelli’s past in the motorcycle landscape.
In some instances, the Benelli logo is placed alongside a wordmark featuring the same font as that on the emblem itself. In others, the badge appears on its own. Sometimes a silver stripe is added behind the circle, with the colors of the Italian flag included on the right-hand side.
The Benelli symbol: Colors and fonts
Looking back at Benelli logo history, we can see the emblem has come a long way over the years, growing increasingly modern and more impactful over time. Today, the logo is a timeless and elegant symbol of strength and legacy.
It’s one of the most interesting logos in the motorcycle industry and balances beautiful colors with simple components.
If you’d like to take a closer look at the Benelli symbol, you can find some useful resources here.
What color is the Benelli logo?
The Benelli logo color palette has gone through a few changes over the decades. Originally, the emblem was quite an intense and vivid symbol with multiple bright colors. Now, Benelli has refined its design to create something more simplistic and modern.
The core Benelli logo colors today include a combination of green, silver, white, and black, used with an exceptional level of balance. Green is a color commonly connected with wealth and growth, while black and silver stand for sophistication and power.
The white elements demonstrate the loyalty and reliability of the Benelli brand.
What font does the Benelli logo use?
The Benelli logo font is unique to the brand. The wordmark on the badge is similar in a lot of ways to fonts like Bookmania Black and Verona TS Bold. The elegant serif typeface features softened serifs on the ends of the bars and diagonal cuts on the lines.
Overall, the choice of font helps to highlight Benelli’s commitment to excellence, sophistication, and serving its audience with phenomenal products.
What does the Benelli logo mean?
The Benelli logo is a symbol of strength and excellence, designed to capture the attention of the company’s audience with an insight into its history and focus on the future. The silver medallion conveys a sense of class, while the stars and laurel wreath remind us of accomplishment.
The lion symbol, included within the Benelli logo design, has been a common mascot for the company for a number of years, often associated with a combination of strength and grace.
Benelli logo FAQ
Is Benelli Chinese or Italian?
Benelli is an Italian motorcycle brand, but it’s currently owned by a Chinese company. It still operates in the part of Italy where the organization was first founded. The owner of the Benelli company is the Qianjiang Motorcycle Corporation.
Is Benelli an Italian bike?
Benelli is an Italian company based in the Marche region, within the city of Pesaro. The company continues to operate as an Italian organization, although it’s owned by a Chinese brand.
What is the Benelli symbol?
The Benelli symbol is a silver medallion featuring a green wreath around the inner perimeter. The wreath shows a walking lion, depicted in white with a black outline. The brand’s name is set in the middle of the badge in a stylish serif font.
Atop the brand name, we see three white stars outlined in black, symbolizing excellence.
Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.
As Fabrik’s creative director, Stephen oversees complex branding programmes. He advises our clients on their tone of voice, creates logos and visual identities and crafts names for companies, products and services. Writing for Brand Fabrik Stephen reflects his love for logo design and visual identity.
