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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Pope Francis’s coffin made its final public journey in a modified white Ram 1500—not on a last ride with the pope alive, but in the funeral procession on April 26, 2025. The truck carried his coffin from St. Peter’s Square to St. Mary Major Basilica. Although the Ram is an American marque, reporting has not established where this particular truck was built.
What was Pope Francis’s last ride?
The phrase “last ride” refers to the journey of Francis’s coffin after his death. Automotive reporting identified the vehicle as a white, single-cab Ram 1500 fitted with a platform for the coffin. That platform was a funeral conversion, not a standard Ram feature.
The truck had previously been used during Francis’s 2016 visit to Mexico, then for internal Vatican transport and hauling, according to CarExpert’s April 29, 2025 report. CarExpert said it was unclear whether this individual vehicle had been produced in Mexico. Its make does not establish its manufacturing origin, so it should not be described as a U.S.-built truck.
The funeral procession through Rome
The procession covered about 6 kilometers (3.5 miles), from St. Peter’s Square to St. Mary Major Basilica, where Francis was to be buried. The Associated Press reported Vatican estimates of approximately 250,000 people at the funeral Mass and another 150,000 along the motorcade route. Those figures were Vatican estimates, not an independent AP headcount.
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The sight of a pickup bearing a simple wooden coffin made a utilitarian vehicle part of a solemn public farewell. The truck’s role was specific to this procession; it was not a description of the vehicle configuration Francis ordinarily used to greet crowds.
What does “popemobile” mean?
“Popemobile” is an informal, flexible name for a vehicle a pope uses, not the name of one permanent model. The vehicle can change with the pope, location, occasion, and practical needs. For Francis’s 2015 visit to the United States, the Holy See said he would use a retrofitted Jeep Wrangler, as reported by The Washington Post.
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Papal vehicles can balance two aims: making the pope visible to people gathered along a route and protecting him. Open or low-sided designs improve visibility; enclosed vehicles can offer more protection, but equipment differs by vehicle and occasion. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ overview describes features including bullet-resistant glass on some vehicles, as well as handrails and steps that support access and visibility.
How the popemobile changed after 1981
The Vatican Museums traces the white off-road vehicle used for brief journeys and visibility among crowds to the period after the 1976 Jubilee. Paul VI used one sporadically; John Paul I did not, and John Paul II favored the format. In the Museums’ historical sequence, a Toyota Land Cruiser precedes the Fiat Campagnola.
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On May 13, 1981, John Paul II was shot while riding in a Fiat 1107 Nuova Campagnola in St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican Museums’ collection entry says Fiat had given him the vehicle in 1980. The attack was followed by heightened security and more protective designs; the USCCB notes that bullet-resistant glass was added after the attempt. That history does not mean every papal vehicle has the same armor or equipment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the Ram’s identity needs a qualification
The funeral vehicle can accurately be called a Ram 1500 popemobile because automotive reporting identified its make and model and described its coffin platform. Calling it “All-American” is defensible as a reference to the Ram marque, but not as a verified statement about where that specific truck was manufactured. Its final, documented papal role was carrying Francis’s coffin in the funeral procession.
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