The late Pope Francis was often called “the People’s Pope.” For us automotive enthusiasts, that was very evident in his choice of “Popemobile.” And it was so to the very end. Pope Francis’ funeral procession to St. Peter’s Basilica included a regular old Ram 1500 carrying his coffin.

But let’s back up to Pope Francis’ first night as the Pope. It was 2013. Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina and the other Cardinals gathered to elect a new Pope. When Bergoglio’s colleagues elected him, the newly-named Pope Francis walked past the black Mercedes waiting for whoever would be the elected Roman Pontiff. Instead, he got on the big white bus he and the other Cardinals had rode in on. This move set the tone of his vehicular choices for the next 12 years.

Pope Francis despised the “sardine can” Popemobiles

Since the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, Popemobiles have fully encased the Pope in bulletproof glass. So first and foremost, Pope Francis did away with these “sardine cans.”

One of many modern symbols of the Supreme Pontiff is his “Popemobile.” They are traditionally white vehicles, modified so the Pope can stand or perch on an elevated seat in the back. This way, he can wave at his followers during parades or other events. In addition, they were usually the latest and greatest vehicles donated by Mercedes-Benz.

Pope Francis allowed a high bulletproof canopy but often insisted on open-sided vehicles to be more connected with the faithful who lined up to see him. He said of the security risk, “I know that something could happen to me, but it is in the hands of God.”

The Popemobiles of Pope Francis

Pope Francis chose humble cars for his Popemobiles. In South Korea, a modified Kia Soul did the trick. In Washington D.C., a Jeep Wrangler. And in 2016 the Mexican Government gifted him a white Ram 1500.

So what about when the Pope wasn’t in a parade and got to drive himself? Pope Francis tootled around Vatican City in a white 1984 Renault 4 a friend gave him. Someone else gave him a Lamborghini. Pope Francis sold it and donated the proceeds to charity.

Instead of a hearse, Pope Francis’s coffin transported in an open Ram 1500 truck bed

The world was shocked to see Pope Francis’ coffin trucked to Rome’s Basilica in the back of a fourth-den Ram 1500. No fancy Mercedes or Hearse for Pope Francis. Instead, the unmistakable crosshair grille is recognizable to tradespeople all over the world. But those who followed Francis’ papacy, or even met the man in person, were not at all surprised. He was simply remaining the “People’s Pope” until the very end.