Continuing on with an 80 year-old tradition, Mercedes-Benz has delivered a new ‘Popemobile’ to Pope Benedict XVI. Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, personally handed over the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, specifically produced for the Pope with special-purpose body.
The leader of the Catholic Church makes use of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class Popemobile at a number of public appearances both at home and abroad. It gives him the opportunity to get as close as possible to the public without foregoing the highest possible levels of safety and comfort.
“It is an honour for Mercedes-Benz to be accompanying His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his future journeys with our new Popemobile”, said Zetsche at the handover of the new Popemobile in Rome. “As such, we are continuing our long-standing partnership with the Vatican. For more than 80 years now, Popes have been able to rely on the quality, safety and comfort of our Mercedes-Benz vehicles.”
The Popemobile is fitted with the latest tech from the current M-Class. Compared with the preceding model, the dome has been extended significantly, providing an improved amount of space and more convenient entry access. The view of the Pope has also been significantly enhanced thanks to considerably larger glass panels in the viewing area, together with large illuminated roof lining. The throne, the central design feature in the interior, bears the embroidered coat of arms of the Holy Father.
As with the preceding model, the body of the new Popemobile is painted in diamond white and, to facilitate frequent transport of the modified M-Class by air, Mercedes-Benz has reduced the overall height of the vehicle by a few centimetres, while at the same time improving the internal standing height.
The first Mercedes-Benz for a Pope was a Nürburg 460 Pullman Saloon, provided for Pope Pius XI in 1930. In the 1960s, Pope John XXIII received a 300d Landaulet in the guise of a cabriolet with automatic transmission. Subsequently, Pope Paul VI first made use of a Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet, followed by a 300 SEL.
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