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<center>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1033.jpg'>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1035.jpg'> 
Automobiles from Mercedes Benz 
Papal Carriages and Automobiles 
Scott 1033 and 1035 (1997)</center>
 
On November 29, our Daily Email and Page 2 article presented a look at the carriages and automobiles that have been used to transport the pope over the years. Right on cue, on December 4 an article appeared from the Catholic News Agency (CNA) entitled “Mercedes-Benz presents Pope Francis with new modified G-Wagon ‘popemobile’”.
 
At a meeting at the Vatican, Ola Källenius, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz, presented the pope with a white box containing the white and chrome key fob for the pope’s new open-air vehicle, affectionately called the “Popemobile” since the days of Pope John Paul II. The new all-electric vehicle is a modified Mercedes G-class wagon and is equipped with comfort amenities such as a rotating heated seat and a heated handrail. The white SUV is detailed with Pope Francis’ coat of arms and two small Holy See flags. The vehicle is also clearly identified as that of the pope with the Vatican City license plate “SCV 1”.
 
At the top of this article are two stamps from the Vatican stamp issue of 1997 entitled “Papal Carriages and Automobiles”, picturing papal automobiles made by Mercedes-Benz. The German luxury car manufacturer has provided vehicles for the Vatican for 94 years, and during the last 45 years the “popemobiles” have been based on the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
 
The move to an all-electric “popemobile” is not a surprise, given Pope Francis’s strong advocacy for the environment. In 2023, the Vatican also announced the purchase electric mail trucks to replace its older fleet of four gas-powered trucks, and a deal with Volkswagen to convert all its vehicles to full electric.
 
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<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1529.jpg'>
<img height='225' src='http://vaticanstamps.org/VPS/images/296/1530.jpg'> 
Europa 2013 Issue 
"The Postal Van" 
Scott 1529-1530</center>
 
Here are a couple of photos showing the “popemobile” in action:
 
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<img height='325' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Popemobile_passes_the_White_House.jpg'> 
Pope Benedict XVI In Popemobile 
Passes the White House, April 16, 2008 
White House photo by Chris Greenberg 
From Wikimedia Commons 
In the public domain</center>
 
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<img height='325' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Popemobile_Mercedes-Benz_ML_430.JPG'> 
Pope Benedict XVI Rides in the Popemobile 
Papal Visit to England, September 17, 2010 
Photograph by Diocese of Westminster 
From Wikimedia Commons 
Used under the terms of the 
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
</center>
 
REFERENCES:
<li>Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency (CNA), December 4, 2024, <a href='https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260831/mercedes-benz-gifts-pope-francis-new-modified-g-wagon-popemobile?utm_campaign=CNA%20Daily&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--OqAtgketInVcL44GpdV872IB7GHxKKk3_4YtdCOdZ5RhBkkYNRol11C4Djl3biMy9bqJJ_ayDXXLFxQJJDXlMr7IPNw&_hsmi=337144622&utm_content=337144622&utm_source=hs_email'>
Mercedes-Benz presents Pope Francis with new modified G-Wagon ‘popemobile’</a> 
<li>Vatican Philatelic Society website, www.vaticanstamps.org, Stamp Database Search

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