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1967 Benelli Delivery Vehicle

The long-established firm of Benelli has made a large range of motorized two-wheeled vehicles for the better part of this century.

The six Benelli brothers formed their company in 1911, and were making famous racing motorcycles by the 1920's.

In the 1930's, they were one of the big five (The Pentarchia) of the Italian bike industry, along with Garelli, Moto Guzzi, Gilera and Bianchi.

The factory was destroyed in World War II, but production began again in 1949. Brother Giuseppi left and founded Motobi, later to return to the fold. Production consisted mostly of 49cc to 174cc two and four-stroke cycles, along with double overhead cam four-cylinder racers.

The mid-sixties saw the introduction of a commercial tricycle in the well-established Italian idiom of a load-carrying platform attached to a moped or scooter chassis with some form of cab or weather protection for the driver. Few were made.

The Argentinian Alessandro de Tomaso bought the firm in 1971, and they were once more at the forefront of racing. The company was sold and resold in the '90's and continues to make exciting machinery to this day.

Manufacturer: Benelli SpA, Pesaro Italy

Model: Delivery Motor: Benelli Body : Steel
Years Built: 1965-1968 No. Cylinders: 1 Chassis: Tube
No. Produced: Few Displacement: 49.5 cc Suspension Front: Coil
No. Surviving: N/A Horsepower: 3.5 Suspension Rear: Leaf
Length: 2540mm Gearbox: 3 Fwd Steering: Direct
Width: 1220 mm Starter: Kick or Pedal Brakes: Cable
Weight: 255 kg Electrics: 12 v 3 Wheels: 3.00 x 12
Interior: Bench Ignition: Coil Top Speed: 40 km/h

© 2002