Published on: 13/12/2019 Updated on: 20/02/2025

Lopresto with his Fiat 508 Balilla, from Reggio Calabria to Milan.

40 years of passion celebrated with a feat of yesteryear: from Reggio Calabria to Milan driving a Fiat 508 Balilla. Mafra will be by Corrado Lopresto 's side with detailers from the #Labocosmetica team who will keep the car resplendent all along the way. Don't miss this RAID!

It was the year 1979 when Corrado Lopresto came across a beautiful Fiat 508 Balilla and it was love at first sight! Today, after 40 years, Lopresto is undoubtedly considered the most famous Italian classic car expert and collector in the world. The Milanese entrepreneur boasts a collection of about 150 cars, unique pieces and specimens particularly rich in history, all strictly Italian. The cars in Lopresto's prestigious collection are featured at concours d'elegance around the world and have won numerous awards over the past 40 years.

Today, Corrado Lopresto wants to celebrate this passion of his with an exceptional event: retracing the roads of Luigi Fierther's historic RAID, which in 1949 reached Milan starting from Reggio Calabria driving a Lupetta microcar, a model he designed himself. These are precisely the events that excite us at Mafra and make us realize how much passion there is in the world of classic cars. This is why we decided to support Corrado Lopresto's venture, sponsoring it and welcoming him with the Mafra bow at the most important stages. In addition, the Balilla will receive a special treatment at Labocosmetica Center Marco Sarro Car Assistant & Detailing in the province of Salerno, to make it shine again after the many miles it has driven. Alongside Corrado Lopresto will be Enrico di Mauro, journalist and blogger, who will witness all the stages of the undertaking, with the unmistakable style that distinguishes him. The Raid will end on December 22 in Milan at Mafra headquarters where he will be welcomed inside the Labocosmetica Center of the Milan office.

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RAID Program

We invite all of you, enthusiasts and collectors, to follow this exceptional event that crosses all of Italy from South to North. If you own a car built until 1949, you can drive part of the way with Corrado's Balilla and celebrate this historic anniversary with him. You can follow all the stages of the RAID on our social channels FB e IG and on Bruce Garage, the Enrico di Mauro's official channel. Stay tuned you will see some great things!

The dates of the RAID

Prologue: On Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec. 15, the Balilla will travel the roads of Sicily with stops in Palermo, Cefalù, Nicosia, Leonforte, Catania, Taormina, Milazzo and Messina, before arriving in Reggio Calabria.
The RAID: Monday, December 16 departure from Reggio Calabria with destination Milan, the start will be given under the Mafra inflatable arch. This is the route along which you can admire Corrado Lopresto's Fiat Balilla:
- Dec. 16: Reggio Calabria - Lamezia Terme - Castrovillari
- Dec. 17: Castrovillari - Battipaglia - Salerno - Naples
- Dec. 18: Naples - San Felice Circeo - Latina - Civitavecchia
- Dec. 19: Civitavecchia - Livorno - Pisa
- December 20: Pisa - Florence - Bologna
- December 21: Bologna - Piacenza
- December 22: Piacenza - Milan