We will still have to wait to see Pope Francis aboard the very first electric popemobile. The white convertible car from the Mercedes-Benz brand, specially designed for the pope’s public appearances, will not be used on Sunday during his trip to Corsica, it has been learned The Cross Thursday December 12.
Offered a week ago for the 2025 Jubilee by the German manufacturer, the electric SUV from the G-Class range is the first papal vehicle without CO2 emissions. He is “suitable for particularly low speeds required for public appearances”, assures the German group. And in line with the encyclical « Laudato Si ‘»the Pope’s manifesto in favor of ecology.
The vehicle, however, retains the typical characteristics of popemobiles. Still painted in classic pearl white, it features the Vatican coat of arms, has a raised, rotating seat at the rear, a retractable roof protecting the occupants from the rain, as well as large areas of glass allowing the Pope to be seen while moving safely.
Like the previous popemobiles, the new car is registered “SCV 1”, corresponding to “Stato della Città del Vaticano” (“State of Vatican City” in French). Its first use is planned for the end of December in Rome, to mark the start of the Holy Year.
An alternative to the “sedia gestatoria”
Mercedes-Benz is not the only car manufacturer to offer the Vatican a tailor-made car model, but its brand remains closely linked to the rise of automobiles as a means of travel for popes.
The tradition began at the beginning of the 20th century. Various manufacturers such as Citroën or Graham-Paige offer the Bishop of Rome luxury vehicles, but are little used due to the “Roman question”: the popes have been confined to Vatican City since 1870 amid a dispute with the kingdom of Italy, resolved in 1929 thanks to the Lateran Accords.
In 1930, Pope Pius XI received his first vehicle from the Mercedes-Benz brand, a Nürburg 460 Pullman Sedan, which he described as “a marvel of modern technology”. He and his successors began to use automobiles for their travels, but continued to use a mobile throne called the Gestatoria ready (“sedan chair”) during public appearances, until the 1970s.
But the very first popemobile as we know it today emerged just after the jubilee of 1976: Pope Paul VI occasionally appeared before the public aboard a Toyota Land Cruiser, white and equipped with a seat. elevated. His successor John Paul I did not use it during his 33 days of pontificate, but the use of the popemobile was resumed by John Paul II. Bulletproof glazing was added after the assassination attempt in May 1981, as he drove through the crowds in Saint-Pierre Square in a Fiat Campagnola.
In the 1980s, a Mercedes-Benz was transformed into a popemobile for the first time. Many manufacturers have also produced their own version: Citroën, Dacia, Ford, Peugeot, Range Rover… But the German brand remains by far the one which has supplied the greatest number of popemobiles.
This parade vehicle has thus established itself as one of the symbols of the popes. For his travels, Francis often favored a much more discreet Fiat 500, symbol of a new papal simplicity. When traveling abroad, the small white car is sometimes acquired on site, sometimes transported directly from Rome, when it is impossible to find one in the country.