New Popemobile for Pope Benedict XVI

Motion Trends, PR,
05 December 2007.

Developed by Mercedes-Benz on the basis of the G 500, over a two-year period in close consultation with the Vatican, the new Popemobile has been personally handed over to Pope Benedict XVI.

This open official car, which the Head of the Catholic Church requested for use during fine weather, will carry the Holy Father in front of the 40,000 or so pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during his public audiences on Wednesdays.

The shining white, open-top Mercedes-Benz G-Class is equipped with a folding windscreen and hand-rails, and like its predecessors it is painted in the Vatican mystic white finish.

The interior is likewise white, and is accessed via steps lined in red at the rear. The successor of Saint Peter holds his audiences in a standing position, so that he is easily visible to all his flock.

The Holy Father is continuing a long tradition with the new Popemobile from Mercedes-Benz. Pope Pius XI was the first to receive a Mercedes-Benz as an official car in 1930 - a Nürburg 460 Pullman limousine.

Over the following decades Mercedes-Benz regularly provided the Vatican with automobiles which had been specially converted for the use of the Holy Father.

Today the Pope has several Mercedes-Benz cars at his disposal. In addition to the new G 500 Cabriolet, the fleet currently includes M and S-Class models with special protection.