Pope Benedict XVI will be seen in Scotland on Thursday (16 September 2010) in a £75,000 armoured Mercedes-Benz 4x4.
It will be one of two customised Mercedes that have been flown over especially for the Pope, and which are already in the UK, stored in a secret location. They wear the number plates SCV and SCV 1.
Pope Benedict's arrival will be the first papal visit to the UK since 1982. Back then, Pope John Paul II toured the streets in an armoured Leyland truck. That was eventually sold at auction for £37,000.
The current Mercedes 'papal carrier' has been in use since it was presented to Pope John Paul II in 2002. It's based on a Mercedes-Benz ML430 SUV with a custom viewing box fitted to the rear.
The windows are bulletproof, as are the frames and undercarriage. There are three chairs inside the rear section, with the Pope's central seat able to be raised hydraulically. A security guard usually sits alongside the driver in the front of the car.
Each of the two cars currently in the UK has around 3,000 miles on the clock, meaning each does less than 400 miles per year. The Popemobile may not look quick but it is capable of hitting a top speed of 99mph.
The Pope will visit Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and London during his UK visit.
READ MORE
It will be one of two customised Mercedes that have been flown over especially for the Pope, and which are already in the UK, stored in a secret location. They wear the number plates SCV and SCV 1.
Pope Benedict's arrival will be the first papal visit to the UK since 1982. Back then, Pope John Paul II toured the streets in an armoured Leyland truck. That was eventually sold at auction for £37,000.
The current Mercedes 'papal carrier' has been in use since it was presented to Pope John Paul II in 2002. It's based on a Mercedes-Benz ML430 SUV with a custom viewing box fitted to the rear.
The windows are bulletproof, as are the frames and undercarriage. There are three chairs inside the rear section, with the Pope's central seat able to be raised hydraulically. A security guard usually sits alongside the driver in the front of the car.
Each of the two cars currently in the UK has around 3,000 miles on the clock, meaning each does less than 400 miles per year. The Popemobile may not look quick but it is capable of hitting a top speed of 99mph.
The Pope will visit Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and London during his UK visit.
READ MORE
RSS Feed