While the Pope is most often seen riding around in an open-air car for public appearances, he also has more typical vehicles for private use.
Now, the newest car in the Vatican fleet comes with a message of loving pride from Pope Leo’s hometown — and uniquely customized Easter eggs for the Chicago-born pope.
Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, and his wife, Lia, surprised Pope Leo XIV with a special gift at a private audience on February 28.
Their gift? A custom 2026 Ford Explorer Platinum hybrid, assembled at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant. Leo XIV grew up some 5 miles away from the plant, making the car a thoughtful tribute to his own history.
The Explorer was customized with a 3.3L V6 hybrid powertrain and 10-speed hybrid transmission, as well as an antenna that’s compatible with the European broadcast radio system.
And the most fun part? Lots of little details pay tribute to the pope’s personal story.
The vehicle came fitted out with these custom “Easter eggs”:
- Vanity license plates read “DA POPE” and “LEO XIV”
- The seat tags feature the Chicago flag
- The city skyline is stitched into the center console
- Engravings of the Chicago skyline and St. Peter’s Basilica adorn the scuff plates, representing Leo XIV’s journey to the Vatican
Ford has quite the history of making papal vehicles. In fact, the first iconic “popemobile” was a Ford Bronco, custom made for St. John Paul II’s 1979 visit to the U.S. At the time, the Chicago Sun-Times popularized the term “popemobile.”
Beyond the custom personalization, the new vehicle is powered by a custom hybrid engine that delivers increased sustainability and lowered emissions, and comes packed with advanced technology that makes for a smoother, more digitally integrated driving experience.
A proud team effort
The Ford team members who worked on the top-secret project shared with media outlets their pride and excitement.
Jennifer Barilovich, a Lead Electrical Systems integration engineer, originally was told just that the car was for a VIP. She was delighted to find out it would go to Pope Leo XIV:
When I found out it was the pope, I was so excited. I can’t believe I helped make a vehicle that the pope is going to drive! As soon as I could, I told my family. I come from a huge Catholic family, so everyone was thrilled and just thought it was the coolest project.
Every employee who worked on the car sent a personal letter to the Pope, and Ford included a few other gifts, including a photo of the team, a special Chicago Assembly Plant recognition coin and a pizza box from Aurelio’s Pizza. In return, the Pope blessed several rosaries for Farley to bring back to his staff.
In an especially delightful twist, one of the Ford employees who worked on the car is a former student of the pope from his days teaching at St. Rita’s.
After the audience, Farley said the pope appreciated the personalized vehicle:
He noticed and appreciated the personal touches. We even took a quick drive, and I can confirm the Holy Father enjoys driving a sporty ride. But more than anything, what stays with me is the feeling of gratitude and joy we experienced meeting him and sharing this small gesture – one that reflects the pride and care of the Ford team back home in Chicago.
