Pope Francis and the special cars that have accompanied him

During more than a decade as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has left his mark not only with his simple lifestyle and accessible messages.

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 car company announced that the Santa Fe model would become the Popemobile. Surprisingly, this actually happened when the Pope used this 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 modified bodywork 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 transport 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 crest. 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 put up for auction and raised $28,000 (727.65 million VND).

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” in Sundanese means “tiger”, which implies 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 Limousine 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-made Huracan RWD Coupe by Lamborghini in 2018. The car, painted in white Bianco Monocerus with Giallo Tiberino gold stitching, was auctioned for charity, raising 809,375 euros (23.8 billion VND).

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

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