In 1911 Teresa Benelli established the Benelli Company in Pesaro, Italy, in the hope that it would offer stable work for her six sons. Producing their own engines and gleaning championship success even in the early days, Benelli continued to innovate and develop, conceiving the incredible in-line six-cylinder engines in the 1960s.

1995 saw a change of ownership and a revival of the company, bringing fast results. 2002 saw the release of the popular Tornado 900 Tre Super Sport bike and more recently the launch of the TNT, an "explosive" roadster.