Papa Francisco died from a cerebral stroke this April 21, although he was previously diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs that limited him in his institutional activities prior to Holy Week. Precisely, one of the last times that made his appearance was in the acquaintance Papamóvila means of transport that has been at the service of the Vatican for almost 100 years.
The Papamóvil is a special vehicle for the Supreme Pontiff, since it has a special protection, greater accessibility to the unit (ramp) and other comforts. However, it is not the only vehicle that passed through the Holy Father, since during his term other vehicles arrived as a simple Renault Duster 4×4 to a luxurious Lamborghini Huracán RWD. In any case, the Papamóvil was the official vehicle of the Pope. The rest was occasionally used or even auctioned for beneficial purposes.
Specifically, the car brand provided by Papamóvil to Vatican is Mercedes-Benz. In fact, the first vehicle was a Mercedes Nürburg 460 produced in Stuttgart and was used by the PIO XI PAPA IN 1930.
Pope John Paul II’s papamobile. (Photo: Dissemination)
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Then, the Vatican received a Mercedes 300 Adenauer in 1960, while in 1965 the Mercedes 600 Pullman arrived. In 1980, the first Mercedes Class G of Battle Long Battle appeared, in version 230 g – Registration SCV 7. This papamóvil was the one used by Pope John Paul II on his first official visit to Germany.
That G class was eliminated the roof and a structure built in Perspex was installed, a transparent synthetic material that allowed the pontiff to be seen correctly from all angles. A year later, Juan Pablo II suffered an attempt to murder, so he was mounted by a bulletproof crystal cover.
In 1982, a second papamóvil was created, based on a Mercedes 230 GE – Registration SCV 6. That car was the official vehicle for the next 25 years. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI received a papamobile based on a G 500 class of the W463 generation, with short and convertible body.
Finally, Mercedes-Benz granted the first class G to the late Pope Francis in December 2024. This is the first electrified class of the German firm and which was delivered by Ola Källenius, the Mercedes CEO.
“A great honor for us, we have paid attention to all the needs of the Holy Father,” said Källenius. Pope Francis was already being transported in a wheelchair, so this new G class was already designed to meet that requirement.
A detail of Pope Francis was that he requested the presence of all the workers who were directly involved in the manufacture of this special vehicle.
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Electric G Class: Zero Emissions, Comfort, Technology
The team of specialists from several Mercedes venues worked for about a year with representatives of the Vatican to adapt the car to the demands of the Pope. Great attention was paid to zero emissions: after all, the Vatican has set the objective that each of its vehicles is completely free of emission by 2030.
In particular, details such as the rotating chair and the interior furniture were made by hand. The vehicle is based on the new electric G class with whole wheel drive. It was specially designed for the reduced speed to which Francisco usually circulates in the Plaza de San Pedro during public audiences. “Of course, compared to the original vehicle, many things have changed in terms of the base, so the starting point was different “Explains Zotter. The experience acquired in the previous project was incorporated into work during the last year. In particular, the developer indicates the rear of the vehicle: “It is a single piece with all the functions. Hopefully it provides the Holy Father with the right comfort for their trips.”.
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Compared to the normal class G class, the ceiling has been eliminated. In case of rain or bad weather conditions, a retractable roof protects the occupants. On the right side, the back gate has become hinges against broken, while the left side has completely welded. Like the previous Papamóviles, the vehicle is white and carries the SCV1 registration. After the delivery of the keys, Francisco received managers and workers at a brief private audience.