Secrets of the Vatican: The Papamobile – what does the Pope drive? It’s more than just an ordinary car!

The Pope waves to the crowd from the Popemobile, featuring a protective canopy and accompanied by security.

The Papamobile is not just a white Melex with John Paul II on board. The history of the vehicle of the head of the Church is almost 100 years old – back then it did not have a bulletproof cage, it was not covered in white and it was not powered by biofuels. What does the Pope drive? Learn about the history of the papamobile, the writing of which was started by… black Mercedes

A luxury limousine with a floor lined with silk carpet. A throne decorated with scarlet brocade. Elegant black bodyshell decorated with Mercedes logo. You certainly wouldn’t think you were just reading a description of the first papal vehicle known as the papamobile.

This is exactly how the story of this intriguing car begins. Over the years, its role has been played by dozens of different machines, which have changed their appearance and design depending on the circumstances. The nature of the papamobile, however, has always remained the same.

The first papamobile was… black. The elegant Mercedes of Pope Pius XI

Although the first pope to hold a vehicle as a gift was Pius X, it is his successor Pius XI who is considered the pioneer in the history of the papamobile. The clergyman was privately a great lover of automobiles, and in 1929 alone received as many as five cars as gifts.

One of these was an American Graham-Paige 837, which at the time could safely be called a real beast. It was distinguished by an eight-cylinder engine with 120 hp and a displacement of 5279 cc. The Pope used it, among other things, to get to the Basilica of St John Lateran.

Shortly afterwards, Pius XI received a luxury Lictor C6 – a gift from Citroen, which did not want to remain an inferior brand. The elegant brown body was covered with chrome trim. The interior, meanwhile, was reminiscent of a throne room decorated in 18th century Venetian style. The seat was upholstered in scarlet brocade.

Most famous, however, was the black Mercedes-Benz Nurburg 460, which the Pope himself called a masterpiece and a marvel of modern technology. All this in extraordinary luxury – the floor was decorated with a silk carpet.

The ancient papamobile, or papal lectern.

A historic image showcasing the Pope seated on an ornate papal throne carried by attendants in ceremonial red robes during a traditional Vatican procession. The richly decorated throne reflects the grandeur of papal tradition.

Years passed and the papal throne changed owners. Gifts of cars, however, were still a common sight in the Vatican. John XXIII received a Mercedes 300d Landaulet. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL and the Mercedes 600, in turn, went to Paul VI.

This did not mean, however, that the popes used the vehicles during audiences or ceremonies. In the mid-twentieth century, it was still the practice to carry the most important spirituals in papal lecterns.

The sedia gestatoria, as this type of throne was called, was carried on the shoulders of members of the Vatican ministry. The last Bishop of Rome to use it was John Paul I. When John Paul II became the head of the church, many of the customs that had been known up to that point changed.

How did the assassination attempt on John Paul II change the papamobile?

In 1978, Karol Wojtyla became the Holy Father. From the beginning, John Paul II was characterised by a progressive approach to the papamobile. During his first visit to Poland in 1979, he travelled around the country in a vehicle of the indigenous Star brand, and before that he had definitively abandoned the traditional lecterns.

While at the Vatican, he sat in a Fiat Nuaova Campagnola, far from being a luxury machine . He was also in it when Mehmet Ali Agca fired a series of shots at him on 13 May 1981. Pope John Paul II miraculously survived, but from then on the papamobile was fitted with bulletproof glass.

The high-tech papamobile of the 21st century.

John Paul 2’s papamobiles may have been high-tech vehicles, but the machines used by him and his successors are separated by a gulf. Pope Benedict XVI mainly used cars from domestic brands – Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen.

One of these was an armoured Volkswagen Phaeton limousine – a beast with a 12-cylinder engine producing 450 hp. The machine’s top speed could reach up to 250 km/h!

Towards the end of his short pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI also used Mercedes ML models donated by the Mercedes-Benz Group. The modified vehicles were equipped with a wide dome with bulletproof windows, an illuminated roof, and a white leather-covered throne.

However, Benedict XVI’s papamobile also set a new progressive trend. In 2012. The Vatican purchased Renault Kangoo electric cars with which the Holy Father and his bodyguards navigated, among other things, the Castel Gandolfo residence.

Hydrogen and CNG-powered cars – what is Pope Francis driving?

A modern papamobile featuring a sleek white design with a transparent protective canopy, parked under a shelter in a Vatican setting.

Pope Benedict XVI’s successor has gone one step further and has almost completely abandoned cars powered by traditional combustion fuels. He only used them on his first trips abroad.

Pope Francis is truly synonymous with progress, at least when it comes to motoring. His papamobiles are powered not only by electricity, but also by CNG, or compressed natural gas. This is the most popular fuel in Argentina, where he hails from.

The Toyota Mirai, donated by the Japanese conglomerate in 2020, has also attracted a lot of attention. The vehicle is powered by hydrogen which is a real rarity. Initially, however, its use was problematic as there was no charging station near the Vatican for this type of machine. Currently, such a facility is already in operation in Rome.

Interestingly, Francis’ papamobiles are completely devoid of bulletproof glass. The Pope wants to get closer to his faithful in this way.

Lamborghini papamobile – other interesting papal vehicles

Papal vehicles are not only functional and safe. In 2017, Pope Francis was presented with a … Lamborghini Huracan worth €185,000 at the time. The top speed of this car is as high as 325 km/h!

However, the Holy Father never got behind the wheel of this beast. Maybe that was a good thing – the roar of the engine could have exposed the ancient stained-glass windows of the Vatican basilicas to serious damage.

Eventually, the machine was auctioned off for charity.

Papamobile – FAQ

Are you interested in papal motoring? Are you curious about what the Heads of the Catholic Church have driven over the years? Find out the answers to the most frequently asked questions!

What registrations does the Papamobile have?

The papal papamobile is marked with the car code SCV (Stato della Citta del Vaticano). At the moment, the registration number used is ‘SCV 1’.

What is the price of the papamobile?

The price of the papamobile is not known as the cars are not available for sale. Instead, it is possible to purchase used Vatican models and possibly convert the vehicle. 2018. The Peugot Museum put one of its older Papamobiles on the market at a price of €14,900.

What kind of car does the Pope drive?

The Pope gets around the Vatican and all his travels in a car called the ‘Papamobile’. Over the years, dozens of models of different brands have played its role. The most popular papamobiles are the Fiat Campagnola, the Volkswagen Phaeton and the Toyota Mirai.

What is a papamobile?

A papa mobile is a car used to transport the Pope. The first papal vehicles began to gain popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The current papamobile owned by Francis is an electric Mercedes G580 EQ.

error: Content is protected !!