From limousines to armored vehicles: Cars used by Popes — photo
Eight historical automobiles used by Roman Popes are being exhibited at the Vatican Museum. Among them are vehicles ranging from a 1930 luxury limousine to modern cars equipped with bulletproof glass.
From limousine to armored car: Vehicles used by Popes — photos
The Pope meets thousands of believers during his travels. So that people could see him better, open-top cars were created first, followed later by vehicles with bulletproof transparent glass. Such cars are called "popemobiles."
An exhibition titled "100 Years of Popemobiles" has opened at the Vatican Museums. It features eight historical automobiles used by Popes between 1930 and 2012. At the exhibition, one can see how the design and safety systems of these vehicles have changed over nearly a century.
The oldest vehicle is the Nürburg 460 limousine, presented to Pope Pius XI in 1930. Its interior featured a luxurious armchair upholstered in raspberry-colored silk fabric. From the outside, it looked like a regular executive car.
In subsequent years, the popes' cars were refined to allow them to communicate more closely with people. For example, in 1960, a vehicle with removable rear side windows was prepared for John XXIII. In 1965, an open-top vehicle with a higher roof was produced for Paul VI. In it, the pope could stand up and wave to greet the faithful.
The biggest change in the history of popemobiles occurred on May 13, 1981. On that day, an assassination attempt was made on John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. The Pope was shot and wounded while riding in an open-top vehicle without any protection.
Following this, the safety system of popemobiles was overhauled. Starting in 1982, bulletproof glass began to be installed on the vehicles. Looking at the transparent protective enclosure, people jokingly called them "tin cans" or "aquariums."
The 2002 ML 430 and 2012 ML 500 models on display at the exhibition are equipped with even thicker armored glass. In 2024, for the first time in Vatican history, a fully electric popemobile based on the G 580 model appeared.
According to Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, all the vehicles in the exhibition were manufactured by the Mercedes-Benz company. The company has been producing special vehicles for the leaders of the Catholic Church for decades.