The prior manufacturer of Benson & Hedges cigarettes was “Benson & Hedges Ltd,” founded in 1873 by Richard Benson and William Hedges, which was granted a royal warrant in 1878 and used the royal coat of arms on its packaging until its charter was revoked in 1999.

In the 20th century, the company expanded into the North American continent, but after the U.S. subsidiary was capitalized in 1928, the U.S. subsidiary was acquired by Philip Morris & Company in 1958, and the CIn Japan, it was launched on June 1, 1974, with 22 mg of tar and 1.6 mg of nicotine.

Meanwhile, the producing company of Benson & Hedges cigarettes in the UK was acquired by Gallaher in 1955, and its overseas division outside North America was acquired by British American Tobacco (BAT) in 1956, so Philip Morris, Gallaher, and BAT have produced the same brand in parallel since the 1960s. Current Philip Morris, Gallaher, and BAT have produced the same brand of cigarettes in parallel since the 1960s; in 2007, JT acquired Gallaher again, and now Philip Morris, JT, and BAT have converted Gallaher into a three-company brand.

The company sponsored the Jordanian Formula 1 Grand Prix team from 1996 to 2005 (it was the main sponsor until 2001, but reduced its sponsorship after 2002). At the European Grand Prix, where tobacco advertising was restricted at the time, the company promoted the brand by displaying messages such as “Be On Edge” (Benson Hedges) on the side of the cars.

From 1975 to 2003, the company was also the title sponsor of the Masters, a popular snooker tournament in the UK. aIn British horse racing, the race now known as the International Stakes was held as the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup from its inception in 1972 until 1985.