Who makes the Popemobile?
The pope’s car is called the Popemobile. There are at least 20 Popemobiles scattered around the world. The Vatican garage houses six of the four-ton vehicles. Land Rover made the first armored Popemobile in 1982, after the assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II. They have since been made by Fiat, Renault, Peugeot, GM, Toyota and Mercedes Benz. The cost is of the cars are not disclosed as they are donated to the church by the manufacturers. For World Youth Day in Toronto, the Pope rode in a Mercedes-Benz M430 colored in mother-of-pearl. Prior to the armored Popemobiles, popes were transported in carriages and automobiles. Several of these are on display in the Vatican Carriage Museum, including carriages from the 1800s, as well as, a 1929 Graham Paige, a 1930 Citroen and a 1930 Mercedes Benz.
