Pope Francis and the special cars that have accompanied him

Pope Francis' cars , often called Popemobiles, not only serve the purpose of transportation, but also reflect the Pope's philosophy of life and connection with the community.

Immediately after his inauguration in 2013, Pope Francis used the Mercedes-Benz M-Class , which was used by his predecessor Benedict XVI in 2012. This was one of the first models to serve Pope Francis in official events.

In the same year, Father Renzo Zocca presented the Pope with a 1984 Renault 4. This classic car was once the Italian priest's daily vehicle and was used by Pope Francis to travel within the Vatican.

He also often chooses to use the Vatican Guard's Ford Focus model instead of requesting a separate Popemobile.

One interesting detail that has been mentioned many times is Hyundai's April Fool's joke in 2009, when the Korean automaker announced that the Santa Fe model would become the Popemobile. Surprisingly, this actually happened when the Pope used the SUV to travel to St. Peter's Square.

During his 2014 visit to South Korea, President Park Geun-hye welcomed the Pope in a Kia Soul crossover. During his visit there, he also used a special edition Kia Sedona, with the body modified to increase visibility and communication with parishioners.

When he visited the Philippines in 2015, the Pope continued to impress by choosing to travel by Jeepney, a popular means of transportation in this country. In addition, he also used an Isuzu D-Max, a popular pickup truck model currently on display at a showroom in the Philippines.

In Peru, Pope Francis used a white Jeep Wrangler with the Vatican emblem. This is a familiar design on many Popemobile models.

During his visit to the United States in September of the same year, he chose a Fiat 500L Lounge Hatchback, a compact car from Italy. After the trip, the car was auctioned off and raised $28,000 (VND 727.65 million).

In 2019, during his visit to Romania, the Pope was welcomed with a Dacia Duster model - an SUV manufactured and assembled by the local car company (part of the Renault group).

One of the highlights of Pope Francis’ vehicle choice was his bold choice in Indonesia in 2024, when he used the Pindad Maung MV3 Tangguh military SUV. “Maung” means “tiger” in Sundanese, which carries the connotation of strength and majesty.

At Changi Airport in Singapore, he was greeted by a modern electric Hyundai Ioniq 5, marking the growing presence of electric vehicles in the papal fleet. As is tradition, all of these models have the number plate SCV 1, which stands for Status Civitatis Vatican.

Not only stopping at popular car models, Pope Francis was also given a custom Huracan RWD Coupe by Lamborghini in 2018. The car, painted in Bianco Monocerus white with Giallo Tiberino gold stitching, was auctioned for charity, raising 809,375 euros (23.8 billion VND).

In December 2024, Mercedes-Benz introduced the electrified G580 model with a unique design dedicated to Pope Francis. The car was painted in Classic Pearl White and incorporated many cutting-edge technologies. However, the Pope did not have time to use this model before his death in 2025.

Through each journey, the Popemobiles are not simply vehicles serving Pope Francis, but also become symbols of connection, closeness and the simple message of life that he always conveys.

Video: Pope Francis' special Huracan raises funds for charity.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/giao-hoang-francis-va-nhung-chiec-oto-dac-biet-tung-dong-hanh-post269007.html