The Vatican Museums opened an exhibition celebrating a century of the popemobile on Thursday.
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The Vatican Museums opened to the public a new exhibition on the popemobile, a vehicle used by popes to get closer to the faithful, with a preview unveiled on Wednesday.
The exhibit, titled “A Century of the Popemobile,” features eight Mercedes-Benz versions of the vehicle that popes have used since 1930. It officially opened to the public on Thursday.
The oldest popemobile shown was given to Pope Pius XI on May 23, 1930. Vatican Museums curator Sandro Barbagallo said the car was “specifically built, designed, and prepared for papal use,” and described how it helped illustrate the shift “from the serial to the unique.” He added that the vehicles were made to allow the pope to be seen “in total safety” and with “comfort.”
Several later popemobile models on display reflect changing needs during public appearances. In 1960, Pope John XXIII was presented with the 300 d Landaulet, with removable rear side windows designed to help him reach out to people he met. In 1980, Mercedes-Benz developed the 230 G for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Germany, featuring a tall, transparent dome intended to provide safety while ensuring a clear view for crowds.
Separately, Pope Leo XIV met with top Mercedes-Benz executives and thanked the company for its partnership with the Holy See. In remarks reported as part of the event, Leo said automotive technology and the evolution of papal travel have advanced together and described the popemobile as “an instrument of encounter” that enables the pontiff to “draw closer to the faithful.”
The pope also referenced an electric popemobile presented to Pope Francis in line with the Argentine pope’s ecological priorities. Leo urged Mercedes-Benz to continue “placing technological innovation at the service of human dignity, care for creation and the common good.”
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