Slide of
Pope Francis has a new car.
Earlier this week he took delivery of a Dacia Duster, the latest in a long line of Popemobiles to be put into service.
Until the 1960s, the pontiff made do with luxury saloons, but since then there’s been a succession of custom-built machinery of varying sizes and suitability. In this story we explain the evolution of this somewhat unique market segment, and select the most notable to wear the Pope’s personalised number plate:
- Slide of
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman (1965)
This Mercedes 600 Pullman was the start of bespoke cars for the Pope. Before, he’d used several saloons from the German manufacturer, but this Pullman Landaulet built for Paul VI (who reigned from 1963 to 1978) came with extended rear doors for easier entry and exit for the pontiff when in full robes.
It also featured a large single, central rear seat so he could see the crowds. This necessitated the folding rear roof being raised by 70mm to give sufficient headroom. As with this car, the vast majority of Papal number plates start with SCV – this stands for Stato della Citta del Vaticano – Vatican City.
- Slide of
Toyota Land Cruiser (1975)
This is the car that coined the phrase ‘Popemobile’ and was built to be used by Paul VI for the church’s 1975 Jubilee. Toyota’s Land Cruiser was chosen because its body was easy to convert for ceremonial duties. Pope John Paul I shunned it in favour of other transport, but his successor was quick to embrace the new transport as it did not like the traditional sedan chair carried by official bearers. This car was used sporadically for the following few years.
- Slide of
Fiat Campagnola (1981)
The humble Fiat Panda-based Campagnola may have chimed with the Pope’s desire to be a man of the people, but it offered John Paul II (1978-2005) little protection from an assassination attempt in 1981 that took place in St Peter’s Square.
Based on a very utilitarian Italian Army off-roader, the all-wheel drive Campagnola came with a railing for the Pope to hold on to during processions, but there was little other protection from the gunman and the Pope was very nearly killed. The Fiat was retired immediately after the shooting.
- Slide of
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen (1981)
Mercedes came up with its 230 G-based Popemobile in late 1980, yet it wasn’t in use until after the attempted assassination of John Paul II in 1981. It was designed so the rear cupola could be removed, but it never was due to security concerns. The rear chair for the Pope sat 400mm above the floor, which required a large glass area.
In turn, this demanded a greatly upgraded air conditioning system so the pontiff didn’t broil in hot weather. Unusually, Mercedes only loaned this car to the Vatican initially and only formally gifted it to the Pope in 1982.
- Slide of
Land Rover Santana (1982)
With a new focus of safety and security, the next Popemobile needed something much sturdier as a base to cope with the extra weight of bullet-proof glass and safety kit. Although this one looks like a Land Rover Defender, it’s actually a Santana.
Built under licence from the British firm in Spain, it went into service in 1982 complete with armoured bodywork and glass and the large rear canopy that was to become a Popemobile signature style.
- Slide of
Seat Papamobil (1982)
When John Paul II visited Spain in 1982, Seat came up with its affectionately names Papamobil. Created from a Marbella, which was a licence-built Fiat Panda, the Papamobil was only ever used once to carry the Pope to a congregation at Camp Nou, the home of soccer club FC Barcelona. With no armour-plating or bullet shielding, the cut-down SEAT was quickly retired to the Vatican’s very own motor museum.
- Slide of
Range Rover (1982)
Shortly after the attempt on Pope John Paul II’s life, he was due to visit Britain, in 1982. Heightened security awareness required the first bullet-proof Popemobile and what better vehicle to base it on than a Range Rover? Two of these cars were ordered, reputedly at a cost of £64,000 (around $100,000 at the time) each at the time, and they were designed by British firm Ogle that had pioneered safety glass in its designs in the 1960s.
One of the Range Rovers was used for official duties in Scotland before being delivered to the Vatican where it remains, while the other was sold off and is now in a museum in Las Vegas. While used on the UK visit, both cars retained their British registrations rather than the usual ‘SCV’ plate attached to the Pope’s ceremonial transport.
- Slide of
Leyland Constructor (1982)
The heaviest Popemobile title goes to the 24-tonne Leyland Constructor used for the pontiff’s visit to the UK in 1982. When he wasn’t in one of his Range Rovers, the Pope was transported in one of two specially converted trucks that had been chosen for their strength and ability to cross rough ground if required to get His Holiness to safety. Both armoured trucks were completed within six weeks and, like the Range Rovers, were designed by Ogle.
One of them was later used for Papal visits to Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia in 1988-89. The truck pictured here was sold at auction in 2006 for £37,000 (around US$56,000 at the time).
- Slide of
Lancia Thesis Giubileo (1999)
Strictly speaking, this stretched landaulet Lancia Thesis is less a Popemobile and more an official limousine. But it’s interesting as this was essentially a prototype preview vehicle, given to Pope John Paul II in 1999 to celebrate the Catholic church’s Great Jubilee event to be held across the year 2000. It was a development of the Dialogos concept car, unveiled at the 1998 Turin motor show.
It previewed the Thesis executive car which wouldn’t go on sale until 2002; The Thesis wasn’t sold in the UK or outside Europe. Powered by a 3-litre Alfa Romeo V6 engine, this particular peculiar Papal preview now resides in the Vatican museum in Rome.
- Slide of
Mercedes ML 430 (2002)
Mercedes-Benz was back in favour at the Vatican when it presented the Pope with a new ML-Class derived Popemobile in 2002. Following the same form as the previous G-Wagen versions, there as a large rear canopy for the pontiff to stand or sit in, substantial armour plating and ballistic glass, and a Mother of Pearl paint finish.
Pope John Paul II is reputed to have been so impressed that he asked the media not to use the ‘papa-mobile’ tag as he felt it wasn’t dignified enough. In this photo, we see the car with a member of the Pope’s bodyguard. The Pope’s protection is the responsibility of plain clothes Swiss Guards and also, it is believed, officers of the Italian security services.
- Slide of
Ferrari Enzo (2005)
Ferrari said it would only build 399 Enzos, but when you want to give the Pope a special present you can always make just one more 660bhp V12 supercar. So, the 400th and final Enzo was given to Pope John Paul II and then auctioned off for charity for just under US$1 million.
To mark out the car as even more special, it was finished in the same Rosso Scuderia red paint as the company’s Formula One cars and the carbon fibre rear wing was left unpainted – the only Enzo to leave the factory like this. It was sold at auction once again in 2015 – this time selling for US$6.05 million.
- Slide of
Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E (2012)
Just because you’re God’s representative on Earth, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to look after the planet. That’s why the current pontiff has a pair of Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E plug-in electric MPVs. Originally a gift to Pope Benedict XVI (who reigned in 2005-13), they were deemed too slow for ceremonial duties where a turn of speed is potentially required. However, the Renaults earn their keep at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, just outside Rome.
Built with help from coachbuilder Grunau, the Kangoos come with an opening roof, retractable side step and a pair of individual rear seats.
- Slide of
Renault 4 (2013)
It was a return to Pope Francis’s (2013-present) roots when he took to the wheel of a Renault 4 that was presented to him by an Italian priest. The Pope used the same model when he was a priest in his native Argentina and surprised his bodyguards by taking the French hatch for a spin around the Vatican.
Father Renzo Zocca, who donated the car to the Pope, said he’d also left a set of snow tyres in the boot in case Pope Francis wanted to use the car in winter.
- Slide of
Jeepney (2015)
During a visit to the Philippines in 2015, the Pope was presented with a Jeepney as his tour bus. Why one of the customised trucks based on old US Army Jeep chassis? Simple: they’re used by locals as a cheap form of transport and the Pope wanted to be part of that. Even so, the Papal Jeepney came with a raised seat in the rear for the Pope to perch on and he exterior was finished with airbrushed scenes from religious history.
However, it also did without the usual bullet-proof glass as the Pope wanted to be close to his followers.
- Slide of
v
While in the Philippines for his 2015 visit, the Pope needed something a little more capable off-road than a Jeepney, so he received an Isuzu D-Max. The usual double cab was chopped behind the front doors, though the rears were still in evidence. At the back, a fold-down step gives access to the large armchair for the Pope, plus there are two smaller seats for security staff.
In common with the current pontiff’s views, the sides are open so he can greet the crowds rather than encased in bullet-proof glass.
- Slide of
Fiat 500L (2015)
When the Pope pitched up in Washington DC in 2015, he caused a stir by using a Fiat 500L to leave the airport, looked on by President Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama (pictured). Modesty is a key part of Pope Francis’s outlook on life, including in his transport.
Normal service was resumed, however, for the rest of the visit with a custom-made Jeep Wrangler. The long wheelbase chassis carried a pick-up-style rear body but with side handles and a large bullet-deflecting canopy over the Popes white leather seat. At the rear, a set of steps and rails helped the pontiff when getting in and out.
- Slide of
Lamborghini Huracán (2017)
Don’t expect to see the Pope drifting this one-off rear-wheel drive Huracan around St Peter’s Square anytime soon. The Lamborghini was presented to the pontiff in November 2017 for him to bless before it was sold at auction to raise money for charity.
Finished in Bianco Monocerus with a Giallo Tiberino decoration, it also sports the Pope’s signature on the bonnet. That helped it realise £630,000 (around US$820,000) when it went under the hammer in Monaco.
- Slide of
Dacia Duster (2019)
Given his efforts at modesty, getting a new Popemobile from Dacia is possibly a perfect choice. Dacia, owned by Renault, is based in Romania and makes some of the world’s cheapest cars. Based on Renaults from a generation or two back, they provide solid enough credentials in the main, but are rarely full of creature comforts.
This new Duster Popemobile was transformed by the Prototype Department and the Dacia Special Needs team in conjunction with coachbuilder Romturingia. This adapted version has five seats, of which one is a comfortable rear bench seat. The vehicle also integrates specific solutions and accessories specially designed to make it suitable for the uses for which it will be intended by the Vatican: a large sunroof, removable glass superstructure, ground clearance 30mm lower than normal, for easier access on board, as well as internal and external support elements.
We hope you enjoyed this story. To easily access more like it, why not sign up to receive our email newsletter? Autocar will make sure you are up to date with the latest from the world of motoring, sending you the best comment, analysis and opinion from our industry experts, and our reviews of the world's best cars, direct to your inbox. And signing up takes less than 30 seconds. Click here to sign up
Close
