The Pope is set to ride in the American-made Jeep Wrangler while in the U.S.
As thousands of people flock to the few stops on The Pope’s first trip to America, the question of where he is stopping overshadows a more important question of how will he get there. With some crowd estimates over a million people strong and conservative estimates still in the tens of thousands at the small stops, getting through the crowds safely and reliably is of paramount importance. To accomplish this task, The Vatican has selected a modified 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to serve as the Papal Vehicle for this U.S. visit, proudly made in America.
The modified Wrangler will be open on the sides so that the Pope can be more accessible and with its large backseat and cargo area it fits the bill well. This is a change from the previous Popemobile which was a full enclosure with reinforced glass and an independent supply of Oxygen, along with a number of other security measures. Pope Francis attributes this deviation from the norm to the stifling enclosure on the old Popemobile describing it as a “glass sardine can.” He prefers an open air vehicle that allows him to greet the public and for this task the Jeep Wrangler remains the vehicle of choice for this US visit and a visit to Ecuador earlier this year. The modified Jeep that will serve as the Popemobile falls in line with his style of accessibility and openness rather than secluded away from those that come to see him.
The Vatican has selected a modified 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to serve as the Papal Vehicle for this U.S. visit, proudly made in America.
Pope Francis also prefers his Ford Focus when traveling around The Vatican for day to day affairs. Preferring to live a more modest lifestyle than the luxury cars and limousines of his predecessors, The Pope tries to remain as close to his flock as possible both in lifestyle and accessibility. Naturally, he picked the Ford Focus which has repeatedly been named top selling car in the world. As the US Ambassador to the Holy See once mentioned, “[Pope Francis] walks the walk. He drives the Ford Focus.”
While the 2015 Jeep Wrangler is just one of the many vehicles in the Vatican fleet, we are glad that the Pope is keeping it made in America during his visit.