Before the first papal carriage, popes used the
sedia gestatoria, a chair carried on the shoulders of papal attendants for public appearances. This fell out of use after the death of
Pope Paul VI in 1978.
Pope John Paul I, who succeeded Paul VI and reigned for only 33 days before his death, was the last pope to use the
sedia gestatoria. Papal carriages were adorned with red velvet upholstery and gilded engravings and trimmings. Several were used in the 1800s, many of which have been restored and are on display at the Carriage Pavilion exhibit of the
Vatican Museums. An inventory from the papal stables in 1841 shows the carriages were pulled by horses with names such as Bandito (Bandit), Pomposino (Pompous), Bufalino (Buffalo), and Capitano (Captain). However, the
Nurburg 460 Pullman which was given to Pope Pius XI in 1930 by German car manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz is considered to have been to first "official" automobile used to transport the pope.
Usage by John Paul II ,
John Paul II's first designated automobile The first time that John Paul II traveled to his native Poland in 1979, he was transported in the white vehicle based on the Polish
Star 660 truck from a firm
FSC Star. For
John Paul II's visit to Ireland in 1979,
Ford Ireland donated a
D series truck which was adapted by OBAM
coachbuilders; in 2017 it was available for private rental in
Dublin. It was bigger than the truck used later in
Vatican City. Another automobile was a modified
Mercedes-Benz with a small-window enclosure in the back where the Pope sits. A converted 230 G
Mercedes-Benz G-Class was built for John Paul II's visit to Germany in 1980. in which
John Paul II was the subject of an
assassination attempt in May 1981|235x235px
chassis for John Paul II's visit to the United Kingdom from May to June 1982|229x229px in a modified
Mercedes-Benz M-Class in
São Paulo in 2007Following the attempted assassination of John Paul II in 1981, the pope's designated automobile was fitted with
bulletproof glass.
British Leyland supplied both
Leyland T45 lorry-based and
Range Rover SUV-based armored automobiles in 1982 for the
pope's visit to the United Kingdom. One of the two T45-based vehicles used was sold at auction in 2006 for £37,000, the other is kept in the
British Commercial Vehicle Museum in
Leyland, UK. One of the
Range Rovers is exhibited at the
National Museum of Funeral History in
Houston, Texas. The Pope used an automobile derived from the
SEAT Panda model during his visit to Spain in 1982; this specific car was open-air with a grab handle in front so that the Pope could stand still and greet the crowds while moving. The Pope entered the
Camp Nou football stadium in
Barcelona, driving through the assembled crowds celebrating Mass for a congregation of over 121,000 on 17 November 1982. used by John Paul II during his visit to
Spain in October/November 1982|230x230px in 2011|leftDuring the Pope's visit to Canada in 1984, a modified
GMC Sierra was used as a base, rebuilt by the Thibault Fire Engines Company in
Pierreville, Quebec. It was subsequently used for the 1998 papal visit to Cuba and was displayed at the
Canada Science and Technology Museum in
Ottawa in 2005. The second truck built by the Thibault Fire Engines Company was sent back to the Vatican in 1984. During the papal visit to the United States in September 1987, a pair of Mercedes-Benz 230 G automobiles were flown to
Washington, D.C., and modified by the
United States Secret Service to provide access to the papal compartment from the driver's cabin, a design that continued to be used after the trip. One of these vehicles has been retired and is currently on display at the
Mercedes-Benz Museum in
Stuttgart, Germany. In 2002, John Paul II requested that the media stop referring to the car as the "popemobile", saying that the term was "undignified".
Usage by Benedict XVI The vehicle most often used by
Pope Benedict XVI when traveling abroad was a modified
Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility vehicle, with a special glass-enclosed room that had its own oxygen supply built into the back of the vehicle. To enter the vehicle, Benedict would proceed through a rear door and ascend several steps. He then sat in a chair made from white leather with gold trim, elevated into the glass room by a
hydraulic lift which aided his visibility. In addition to the driver, there is room for one passenger (usually a security agent) in the front of the vehicle. The glass-enclosed rear of the vehicle also has room for two papal aides, who can sit in the area in front of the Pope's elevated chair. The vehicle includes bulletproof glass windows and skylights and is made from reinforced armour plating, security features designed to withstand explosives under or around it. At 2011 prices, the vehicle cost approximately £345,000 (). On June 6, 2007, a German man tried to jump into Benedict XVI's uncovered vehicle as the pontiff began his general audience. The Pope was not hurt and did not even appear to notice that the man had jumped over the protective barrier in the square and had grabbed onto the white
Fiat the pope was in as it passed. At least eight security officers trailed the vehicle as it moved slowly through the square. They subsequently grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground, before he was interrogated by
Vatican police.
Usage by Francis in
Ecuador, 2015
Pope Francis showed a preference for a simpler lifestyle and simpler cars. As a
cardinal, he often used
public transport. On the night of his election, he rode with the other cardinals in a
minibus back to
their hotel instead of using a papal limousine. For trips within the
Vatican City, he used a small
Ford Focus from the Vatican motor pool. He also drove himself around the city in a 1984
Renault 4 presented to him by Italian Father Renzo Zocca. A
Kia Soul was used as the pope's method of vehicular transport in August 2014 when he visited
South Korea. Italian automaker
Fiat, the traditional supplier of papal cars, supplied Pope Francis with the
Fiat 500L used for his visit to the
United States on 22–27 September 2015. Fiat also supplied the
Jeep Wrangler he used in
Ecuador in July 2015. During his visit in the
Philippines, Francis used a converted
jeepney, a type of public-utility vehicle used in the country. In addition he also used an
Isuzu D-Max. For his 2024 visit in Indonesia, a
Pindad Maung MV3 Tangguh was used. Francis used a
Hyundai Ioniq 5 during his visit to
Singapore. In December 2024, Francis received the Vatican's first-ever
all-electric vehicle, a
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. During
his funeral in April 2025, a
Ram 1500-based automobile was used to transport Francis' coffin to his burial place, the
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in
Rome.
Usage by Leo XIV Before
his papal inauguration on 18 May 2025,
Pope Leo XIV rode in an open-topped vehicle for the first time, greeting and blessing crowds gathered around St. Peter's Square and the
Via della Conciliazione. == See also ==