Pope Benedict XVI Tours Earthquake Zone in Special Fiat Ducato Panorama Van

The Pope can't just ride around in any old car. That's why he had to sell his Volkswagen before ascending from Cardinal to the Papacy. But the head of the Catholic church and head of state of Vatican City has a well-equipped motor pool at his disposal, including sport-utility vehicles donated to the Vatican by Volvo and BMW, a W12 Phaeton luxury sedan by Volkswagen, and of course the specially-made Popemobile from Mercedes-Benz. The latest, by comparisson, may seem the least prestigious, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So while touring the aftermath of the earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy, the Pope is riding around in a specially-equipped Fiat Ducato Panorama van.

The Ducato is one of the most prolific vehicles in Italy, with some 2 million on the road. But the Pope's, of course, is special, equipped with a white leather interior including a five-seater sofa, the latest electronics and deployable steps to allow the gowned pontiff easy ingress and egress.