Despite his important role as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis was widely noted for living below his means wherever possible. One of the best examples of this is the cars the 88-year-old figure used, which varied significantly from all-electric SUVS used for official state visits to secondhand Fords and Renaults.
The most recent vehicle to be used by Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday,was a highly unique variant of the all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class with several interesting features. Like previous iterations of the famous 'Popemobile', the vehicle was designed to allow the Pope to easily greet crowds during visits throughout the world, with the figure sitting on a raised seat behind the driver and front passenger. The model featured an armchair-style seat that could swivel, smaller seats on either side for bodyguards, and a roof that could easily be fitted for occasions for journeys in adverse weather conditions.
Whilst the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is renowned for being a particularly luxurious model, which was set to have cost £380,000 to make, the majority of vehicles used by Pope Francis were incredibly affordable.
In 2019, Renault Group gifted Pope Francis a new Dacia Duster, the cheapest SUV on sale in the UK at the time. The Duster featured a 'Popemobile' glass compartment towards the rear.
Built by the Romanian brand's Prototype Department and the Dacia Special Needs team, the unique Duster also offered five seats, a large glass sunroof, and a lower ride height that allowed the Pope to easily access the vehicle.
Nevertheless, not all vehicles used by Pope Francis were extensively modified for appearances within the Vatican and beyond. For personal journeys, the Pope used a 1984 Renault 4 GTL.
Gifted to the Pope by Father Renzo Zocca in 2013, the ageing Renault had already covered 300,000km (190,000 miles) upon its donation. However, it was identical to the vehicle Pope Francis owned in his native Argentina.
Built between 1961 and 1994, the Renault 4 helped to make family cars affordable in a wide range of countries across Europe, Africa, and South America, and is widely considered to be the first-ever production car to feature a hatchback.
Whilst the little Renault was typically driven by Pope Francis himself, private journeys in which he was a passenger were often conducted in a 2007 Ford Focus.
The dark blue family hatchback was first spotted being used by the Pope in 2013 and was still in regular use in 2017, when the figure auctioned off a new Lamborghini to raise money for charities helping to rebuild Christian communities.
Pope Francis also used a number of other affordable family cars for short journeys, including a Fiat 500L and, during a 2014 trip to South Korea, a Kia Soul.
Facebook Conversations