What happens to the old Popemobile

Most retired Popemobiles are preserved rather than scrapped: they typically go to museums (including the Vatican Museums and major automaker museums), are returned to manufacturers for archival collections, or are kept by the Vatican as backup/ceremonial vehicles; a few non-armored cars associated with papal trips have been auctioned for charity, and security-sensitive units may be decommissioned or dismantled. The fate of any given Popemobile depends on its ownership, security features, and historic value.

How the Vatican handles retired Popemobiles

The Vatican’s vehicle service (under the Governorate of Vatican City State) manages the papal fleet and decides whether an older Popemobile remains on standby, is displayed, or is decommissioned. Because some Popemobiles are heavily modified and armored, they’re treated as sensitive assets, while simpler, unarmored vehicles used on trips may be repurposed or released when their ceremonial role ends.

Kept in service as backups or for indoor/low-risk events

When mechanically sound and still useful, older Popemobiles can remain in the Vatican fleet as backup units. Open-top or lightly protected vehicles are sometimes used for short, slow movements inside Vatican City or enclosed venues, where security risk is lower and visibility for the faithful is a priority.

Decommissioned and secured for parts or storage

Armored cabins, communications suites, and custom security components are often removed or disabled at retirement. Depending on contracts and risk assessments, decommissioned Popemobiles may be mothballed in secure storage, stripped for parts, or formally transferred to a museum or manufacturer once sensitive equipment is taken out.

Museums and manufacturers: where many Popemobiles end up

Because Popemobiles are cultural artifacts as well as vehicles, many are preserved for public display by the Vatican, national museums, or the companies that built them. This protects the historical record and allows the public to see how papal transport evolved from open platforms to modern protected cabins.

• Vatican Museums (Pavilion of the Carriages, Rome): Exhibits retired papal vehicles, including Popemobiles, alongside historic carriages and state cars from different pontificates.
• Mercedes-Benz Museum (Stuttgart, Germany): Displays multiple Popemobiles supplied to the Holy See, including early-1980s G-Class and mid-2000s M-Class examples associated with St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
• National Motor Museum, Beaulieu (UK): Houses the Range Rover Popemobile built for St. John Paul II’s 1982 visit to the United Kingdom.
• Presidential Car Museum (Quezon City, Philippines): Displays a locally built Popemobile based on an Isuzu D‑Max used during Pope Francis’s 2015 visit.

Together these collections chart the shift from open, elevated platforms to enclosed, transparent cabins and, more recently, to lower-emission vehicles aligned with the Vatican’s sustainability goals.

Returned to or retained by automakers

Automakers that supply Popemobiles often retain significant examples for their corporate archives and museums, sometimes after formal hand-back agreements. This is common with long-standing suppliers such as Mercedes‑Benz, which documents papal vehicles as part of its brand history. Manufacturers also service and update Popemobiles that remain in the Vatican fleet, particularly ahead of major international trips.

Occasional charity auctions of non-armored trip cars

While full-fledged Popemobiles with protective cabins are rarely sold, ordinary cars used by the Pope during specific trips—distinct from the bespoke Popemobile—have been auctioned for charity. A notable example: one of the Fiat 500L cars used during Pope Francis’s 2015 U.S. visit was auctioned in 2016 in Philadelphia to benefit Catholic charities. These sales involve standard vehicles without sensitive modifications.

Typical outcomes for a retired Popemobile

In practice, there are only a handful of repeatable end-states for old Popemobiles. The following list outlines the most common paths.

• Museum display: Transferred to the Vatican Museums or reputable national/automaker museums for public exhibition.
• Manufacturer archives: Returned to the builder (e.g., Mercedes‑Benz) for preservation and occasional exhibition.
• Vatican reserve: Maintained as a backup/ceremonial unit for special contexts, especially indoors or at low speeds.
• Decommissioned/dismantled: Sensitive equipment removed; vehicle stored, parted out, or used for training/technical reference.
• Charity sale (rare, non-armored cars): Standard vehicles associated with papal trips may be auctioned; true armored Popemobiles generally are not.

Which option is chosen depends on legal ownership, security considerations, mechanical condition, and the vehicle’s symbolic or historic importance.

A note on the shift to cleaner Popemobiles

Recent papal transport choices reflect an environmental tilt. Toyota donated specially adapted hydrogen Mirai Popemobiles to the Vatican in 2020, and the Holy See has announced plans to decarbonize its broader fleet. As newer low- or zero-emission Popemobiles enter service, older units are expected to follow the same preservation patterns—primarily museum display or secure retirement.

Summary

Old Popemobiles rarely disappear; they’re conserved. Most move to museums (Vatican, national, or automaker-run), some return to manufacturers, and a few remain as Vatican backups. Sensitive models are decommissioned before display or storage. Only ordinary, non-armored cars used during papal trips tend to be auctioned, and then typically for charity.