"A Century of Popemobiles": a hundred years of papal cars at the Vatican Museums, from Pius XI to Leo XIV

From 29 October the Vatican Museums open "Un secolo di papamobile" (A Century of Popemobiles) to the public, an exhibition covering a hundred years of papal mobility: eight historic Mercedes-Benz cars, "from Pius XI's first car to today's popemobiles", according to the statement from the Governorate and the Museums. The story spans almost a century, "from Pius XI to Leo XIV".

Where and when. The exhibition is housed in a glass pavilion in the Giardino Quadrato area, near the Carriage Pavilion and the Vatican Pinacoteca. It will be presented on Wednesday 28 October at 10:30 in the Museums' Conference Hall by Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums; Marcus Breitschwerdt of Mercedes-Benz AG and Mercedes-Benz Heritage; Marc Langenbrinck, president of Mercedes-Benz Italia; curator Sandro Barbagallo; and Luigi Contu, editor of the ANSA news agency. A visit to the exhibition will follow.

The first papal car. It all starts on 23 May 1930, when Pope Pius XI received a Mercedes-Benz Nürburg 460 (W 08): a Pullman limousine with a cabin built specially for the Pontiff, with a single armchair upholstered in silk brocade. The statement calls it "the first car regularly used by a Pontiff" (our translation). The display continues with the 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 d Landaulet (W 189), built for Pope John XXIII.

Two special guests. Completing the exhibition are two cars "of exceptional historical and technological significance": the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, "considered the first car in history", and a contemporary Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

From symbol to "a space for encounter". The point of the exhibition is the shift from a car of state to a popemobile "designed as a tool for encounter". Barbara Jatta writes in the catalogue: "The car, born to allow a journey, thus also becomes a space for encounter, a tool through which the Pontiff can show himself, greet, bless and establish an immediate relationship with those who gather along his way" (our translation). Curator Sandro Barbagallo starts further back: "It all begins with a journey. That of Peter, the fisherman from Galilee who reached Rome […]" Marc Langenbrinck invites visitors to reflect "on the deep meaning of that journey begun with Peter almost two thousand years ago and carried on today by Pope Leo XIV".

What we don't know. The statement does not list all eight cars on display, nor does it give dedicated opening hours or tickets for the exhibition. We will update this after the presentation on 28 October.

Our flash from 22 October:

vaticanreport.com/flash/864f6300-3665-49d4-83cd-13638c8a2a00?lang=en

Sources: Statement by the Governorate of Vatican City State and the Vatican Museums, Holy See Press Office, 22 October 2026 (Italian) · Vatican Museums

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