Pope mobiles have been specially designed vehicles for Pope visits to any public area around the world since the early 1930s. These vehicles have been designed in such a manner that Pope can be made easily visible to large crowds and allowing him to greet them while still being able to find the security that it was made for. For security reasons the Popemobile has been made with bulletproof glass and other armor materials that strengthen the overall mobile structure of the vehicle.
Being one of the most popular bulletproof vehicles around the world, the Popemobile has received several security advancements from the 1965 Mercedes Pullman to the 2002 Mercedes Benz ML 430. Every new design has had the same purpose of protecting the Pope through crowds while in use.
Currently, the most popular Pope mobile designs are made by Mercedes Benz M-Class and it is a kind of sports utility vehicle with special protection glass and inbuilt oxygen supply arrangements. Some other preferred vehicles are limousines, Audi A8 or BMW 7-series for the Pope visits.
The Popemobile: protecting the Pope and other popular figures have created a new opportunity for security companies around the world to set a standard when protecting any individuals.
For those individuals that are in the spotlight and need a little additional protection bulletproof vehicles have helped create that peace of mind in the event of an attack. The world is a violent place and here are some popular well-known armored vehicles that are on the street today.
Brief History of the Popemobile
The original popemobile was a Mercedes-Benz Nurburg 460 Pullman, which was given to Pope Pius XI in 1930.
By the 1970’s, the popemobile became the norm for helping the pope navigate through crowds. Popemobiles have been retrofitted to include elevated platforms and glass canopies.
While the popemobile of Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI looked like a fishtank, the one used by Pope Francis I was much more exposed to allow him to interact with his followers.
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