Vatican opens exhibition of papal Mercedes cars
The Vatican Museums display eight historic Mercedes papal vehicles from 1930 to the present, tracing adaptations for visibility and security.
The Vatican has opened an exhibition of papal cars, featuring eight historic Mercedes vehicles used by pontiffs over roughly the last century. The show, titled "A Century of Papal Cars," is installed in the Vatican Museums and traces the development of specially adapted automobiles used by popes during public travel and encounters with the faithful.
History and selected exhibits
The oldest vehicle on display is a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 that Pope Pius XI received as a gift in 1930. The luxury car retains interior details such as a seat upholstered in silk brocade and fittings made from precious wood and metal.
Another exhibit is a model from 1960 made for Pope John XXIII. That vehicle was built with side windows that could be removed to make it easier for the pope to communicate with crowds.
Particular attention is given to a car from 1980 prepared for Pope John Paul II's visit to Germany. For that visit the vehicle was, for the first time, fitted with a tall transparent dome to improve visibility and security.
The Vatican Museums' presentation highlights both the technical adaptations and ceremonial aspects of the papal cars, showing how form and function evolved to meet pastoral and security needs over decades.
The exhibition gathers vehicles from several decades to illustrate the changing relationship between papal mobility, public visibility and protection, and remains on view in the museum complex.
Photo: AP)
