The Fascinating History Of The Car That Transports The Pope
As the Vatican recently voted on choosing a new Pope, we thought we'd explore the history of the legendary vehicle that transports His Holiness from one place to the next: the affectionately named "Popemobile". Its history dates back to the 1980s—before this, the Pope was transported on a sedia gestatoria, a ceremonial chair carried on shoulders. Let's explore the fascinating history of the Bishop of Rome's car.
The History Of The Pope's Throne
The sedia gestatoria, or the "gestatorial chair," was used for carrying Popes since the 8th century BC, during the time of Pope Stephen. The sedia gestatoria was used for centuries until it fell out of favor with Pope John Paul I, who initially refused to sit on the throne, but was convinced to do so to allow him to be better seen by the crowds in Rome.
Lionel Allorge, Wikimedia Commons
The Discontinuance Of The Gestatorial Chair
This chair continued to be used to carry Popes until, in 1978, it was discontinued by Pope John Paul II, being replaced with the modern automobile. The old sedia gestatoria sits in the Choir of St Peter's in Rome. And there's another: the sedia gestatoria of Pope Pius VII, which is on display in the Palace of Versailles.
The First Papal Automobile Was American!
Despite now being the modern G-Wagen, the first Papal automobile was delivered to the Vatican on November 10, 1949, when American automakers the Graham Brothers donated a Graham Paige 837 Limousine, later used by Pope Pius XI.
Although, Not Officially
Unfortunately for the Graham Brothers, history doesn't remember them as the first deliverers of Popemobiles. That honor falls to the Germans, specifically Mercedes-Benz, who gave Pope Pius IX a Nurburg 460 Pullman. But it wasn't called a Popemobile until 1965.
My Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 1930, PS Perlen
The Mercedes-Benz Pullman
The Nurburg 460 Pullman was built on the chassis of a Pullman Landaulet, with extended rear doors to ensure that the Pope's robes wouldn't be tangled up. It was built with a large bench seat to see the crowds and a folding rear roof that had to be raised by 2.7 inches to allow for the Pontiff's height.
JoachimKohlerBremen, Wikimedia Commons
The First Popemobile In America
The term "Popemobile" first arrived in the English language in 1965, when Pope John Paul II visited New York City, traveling through the city in a custom-built Lincoln Continental. After its one-time use, an eye doctor named Eric Swanson (we're not sure if he was Catholic) bought the car for posterity and promoted it as the Popemobile.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
The Toyota Land Cruiser
You might not think "Popemobile" when you see a Toyota Land Cruiser—but it was used in 1975 by Paul VI as it was easily convertible for ceremonial duties. The Japanese truck was fitted with a bar all around the exterior cab (in which the Holy Father would stand) and with an exterior set of stairs and handrails for the Pope to disembark.
Pope John Paul II Popularizes The Popemobile
Pope John Paul II was one of the Vatican's most beloved and progressive popes. He was the first Pope to popularize the use of a car whenever he travelled outside of Vatican City. His first Popemobile usage abroad was when he travelled to his native Poland in 1979. He requested to be transported in a Polish-made vehicle and Polish automakers duly obliged. They built a special car for him to be transported in: a Star 660 truck from the Polish car company, Star.
The Star 660
The Star 660 that transported Pope John Paul II was originally crafted from the body of a Star 660 Polish Army transport truck. The open-air truck was designed with a gondola, seating for the Pope and others in his entourage, a canopy, and umbrellas. After the Pope's visit, Polish authorities destroyed the automobile, fearing it would become an object of worship.
A Fiat Fiasco
In 1981, Pope John Paul II visited crowds in St Peter's Square, riding in an Italian-built Fiat Panda-based Campagnolo, an open-top 2.5L diesel-engined off-road vehicle. Suddenly, a gunman burst through the crowd and fired two shots at the Pope, hitting him twice. The gunman was apprehended, and the Pope lived, but the Fiat Campagnolo was replaced by an enclosed vehicle with bulletproof glass almost immediately.
The Mercedes G-Wagen
Of course, as the Fiat could no longer be used, Mercedes designed a G-Wagen to be retrofitted with bulletproof glass, with a rear cupola (the enclosure in which His Holiness sits) that was removable. Mercedes also upgraded the air conditioning system, as the Pope was essentially sitting in a giant glass box. This G-Wagen was initially loaned to the Vatican before being gifted in 1982.
The Bulletproof Glass Was Making Popemobiles Heavier
The weight of the bulletproof glass demanded a completely different approach to the types of chassis that the Pope could ride on. The only adequate solution was an upgraded Land Rover Defender, the Land Rover Santana. Licensed to a Spanish firm in 1982, the Land Rover Santana featured extensive armored body panels and a rear canopy.
The Up-Armored Range Rover & T45 Truck
In 1982, the Pope visited the United Kingdom and British Leyland supplied an up-armored Range Rover for quick jaunts, but when he was greeting crowds, he was in a behemoth Leyland T45 truck with a bulletproof glass enclosure and a cab that was very high off the ground. The two vehicles are on display in museums, one in Texas, the other in Leyland, UK.
DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
A SEAT Papamobile
When the Holy Father visited Spain in 1982, the Spanish rolled out the red carpet. They also rolled out the SEAT Popemobile, a purpose-built Popemobile that adopted a less protective approach. The bulletproof glass was gone, as was the extensive body armor. Instead, there was a simple platform in the rear of a Fiat Panda, with handrails on all four sides and a set of steps with handrails on each side. It currently sits in the Vatican's motor museum.
Detectandpreserve, Wikimedia Commons
The Canadians Modify A GMC Sierra For The Pope In 1984
When the Pope visited Canada in 1984, the Vatican called on a Quebec-based company to modify a GMC Sierra, which meant a large cab in the back filled with plenty of standing and sitting room for His Holiness, who went back to the post-1981 tradition of a glass enclosure with excellent air conditioning.
Mercedes Back In Business At The Vatican
In 2002, Mercedes was back in business at the Vatican, having been tasked with creating a new and improved Popemobile. Enter the Mercedes ML 430, a similarly-styled vehicle to the G-Wagen. The ML 430 featured a mother-of-pearl white paint job, with a large standing area in the rear and enough room for the Pontiff to sit. This Popemobile also featured ballistic glass and armor plating.
Diocese of Westminster from London, Wikimedia Commons
A Revolutionary Popemobile From A Revolutionary Pope
Pope Francis was revolutionary in many respects, including in his choice of Popemobile. This smaller Popemobile was designed by the legendary French car company Renault. Named the Renault Kangoo Maxi, it was a small people carrier that was an EV. While featuring none of the protective glass we've gotten used to with Popemobiles, the Kangoo provided a smaller, more intimate experience with a retractable roof and standing room for the Pope.
EurovisionNim, Wikimedia Commons
The Philippine Jeepney
In a 2018 visit to the Philippines, the country presented Pope Francis with this unique "Jeepney" Popemobile for him to travel around in whilst he was in-country. Built on the chassis of a US Army Jeep, the Jeepney once again suspended the bulletproof glass to allow the Holy Father to be close to his followers. The exterior featured airbrushed scenes from religious history, while the interior was adorned with white and gold.
Nasaan na ang popemobile na ginamit ni Pope Francis sa Pilipinas? | One Balita Pilipinas, One PH
The Pope Goes Off-Road
As not all of the Pope's followers live in paved cities, the Pope was also given a modified Isuzu D-Max SUV for his trips to the rural parts of the Philippines. The double cab was sacrificed behind the front doors, with a large truck bed being used as standing room for His Holiness and the entourage. Bulletproof glass was, once again, deemed unnecessary.
User:Two hundred percent., Wikimedia Commons
A Jeep Wrangler In The US
Maybe Pope Francis loved Jeeps. In any event, Jeep certainly seemed to like the Pope, as they were tasked with designing a Popemobile fit for his US visit in 2015. They customized a Jeep Wrangler to have a longer wheelbase with a pickup-style body, with side handles and a bulletproof canopy that covered the Holy Father from above. The Wrangler also had a set of steps and railings to allow the Pope to dismount from the rear.
Agencia de Noticias ANDES, Wikimedia Commons
Back To The French In Cuba
Given the popularity of the Peugeot 206, it's no wonder that a customized version of the 206+ was used when the Pope visited Cuba in 2018. This modified 206 was called the Peugeot Hoggar and was primarily sold in South and Latin America at the time. This cut-off Hoggar had rear open-air standing room for the Pope, no bulletproof glass necessary.
Rudolf Stricker, Wikimedia Commons
An Indonesian-Built Popemobile
Pope Francis traveled in three different Popemobiles in 2024, the first was a Pindad Maung MV3 Tangguah. That might be a mouthful, but its locally-built and used by the Indonesian military. This six-wheeled behemoth is powered by a 2.4L Toyota engine that pushes 136 hp. Its bulletproof, explosive-proof, and looks menacing to boot.
Government of Indonesia. BPMI Setpres/Muchlis Jr, Wikimedia Commons
Pope Francis: Ever The Environmentally-Conscious
Pope Francis was ever the environmentalist and he showcased it again in 2024 by being driven in the hydrogen cell-powered Toyota Mirai. Customized to be open-air, unlike some of the other pickups of Popes, the Mirai featured a cab with railings and steps, with the traditional four-seater turned into a two-seater.
Do you have a favorite Popemobile? Does that match your favorite Pope? Let us know in the comments below!
You May Also Like:
These Rad 1950s Cars Were Some Of America's Best
An Abu Dhabi Sheikh's Car Collection
