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The popemobile (Latin: papacinetum or papocinetum; Italian language: papamobile) is a specially designed motor vehicle used by the pope for public appearances. It is the successor to the sedia gestatoria (portable throne) and is designed to make the pope more visible when greeting large crowds.
There have been many different designs for popemobiles. Some are open-air, while others have bulletproof glass walls to enclose the pope, deemed necessary following the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Some allow the pope to sit, while others are designed to accommodate him standing. The Roman Curia selects an appropriate popemobile for each usage depending upon the level of security needed, distance and speed of travel, and the pope's preferences.
Mercedes-Benz has been the most frequent provider of papal vehicles since it provided the Vatican with its first popemobile in 1930. The Vatican acquired its first electric vehicle popemobile in December 2024, and has said that it plans to make all popemobiles electric by 2030.
The vehicle registration plates of Vatican City all begin with the letters "SCV", an abbreviation of the Latin Status Civitatis Vaticanae ("Vatican City State"), followed by the vehicle fleet number. The registration plate for the Ford Focus used by Pope Francis was "SCV 00919". In the past, the popemobile has typically used registration plate "SCV 1", although plates numbered "SCV 2" to "SCV 9" have also been used.
Papal carriages were adorned with red velvet upholstery and gilded engravings and trimmings. Several were used in the 1800s, many of which have been restored and are on display at the Carriage Pavilion exhibit of the Vatican Museums.
An inventory from the papal stables in 1841 shows the carriages were pulled by horses with names such as Bandito (Bandit), Pomposino (Pompous), Bufalino (Buffalo) and Capitano (Captain).
On 10 November 1929, the Vatican would get its first automobile when the Graham brothers who led the Detroit based Graham-Paige donated a Graham Paige 837 limousine, which Pope Pius XI would use to travel to the Basilica of St. John Lateran on 22 December 1929. However, the Nurburg 460 Pullman which was given to Pope Pius XI in 1930 by German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is considered to have been to first "official" popemobile.
The term "popemobile" was first used in English-language media to refer to a custom-built Lincoln Continental used by Pope Paul VI during a pastoral visit to New York City in 1965. After the visit, the car was sold to Fort Dodge, Iowa eye doctor Eric Swanson, who promoted it as the "Pope-Mobile" and loaned it for other uses, including ticker-tape parades for the Apollo Program. "Gordon Gammack", Des Moines Register, August 10, 1969, page 1-T. "The Popemobile - and conveyance of other notables", Arizona Republic, June 17, 1973, Arizona Sunday magazine, pages 48, 50, 51, 52, 53.
During the papal visit to the United States in September 1987, a pair of Mercedes-Benz 230 G popemobiles were flown to Washington, D.C., and modified by the United States Secret Service to provide access to the papal compartment from the driver's cabin, a design that continued to be used after the trip. One of these vehicles has been retired and is currently on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
In 2002, John Paul II requested that the media stop referring to the car as the "popemobile", saying that the term was "undignified".
On June 6, 2007, a German man tried to jump into Benedict XVI's uncovered popemobile as the pontiff began his general audience. The Pope was not hurt and did not even appear to notice that the man had jumped over the protective barrier in the square and had grabbed onto the white Fiat popemobile as it passed. At least eight security officers trailed the vehicle as it moved slowly through the square. They subsequently grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground, before he was interrogated by Vatican police. Man tries to breach Benedict XVI security The Times of India, 6 June 2007
A Kia Soul was used as the popemobile in August 2014 when he visited South Korea.
Italian automaker Fiat, the traditional supplier of papal cars, supplied Pope Francis with the Fiat 500L used for his visit to the United States on 22–27 September 2015. Fiat also supplied the Jeep Wrangler he used in Ecuador in July 2015.
During his visit in the Philippines, Francis used a converted jeepney, a type of public-utility vehicle used in the country. In addition he also used an Isuzu D-Max. In 2019, Francis received a Dacia Duster to be used as the popemobile during his visit to Romania. For his 2024 visit in Indonesia, the popemobile used was based on the Pindad Maung. He used a Hyundai Ioniq 5 during his visit to Singapore.
In December 2024, Francis received the Vatican's first-ever electric vehicle popemobile, an all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
During his funeral in April 2025, a Ram pickup-based popemobile was used to transport Francis' coffin to his burial place, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. This was the first time a popemobile had been employed as a hearse.
In May 2025, it was reported that Francis, as part of his final wishes, requested that one of his popemobiles be turned into a health clinic for the children of Gaza genocide, and had entrusted Caritas Jerusalem with the task. The popemobile was outfitted with diagnostic, examination, and treatment equipment, including rapid testing for infections, vaccines, and other life-saving supplies to reach children in the most isolated corners of the region. In June 2025, Caritas Jerusalem reported that the Israeli government had prevented the vehicle from entering the Gaza Strip.
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