Pope Leo XIV received a one-of-a-kind Ford Explorer SUV from Ford CEO Jim Farley and his wife, Lia, during a recent private audience, the culmination of a project that excited several Catholic employees involved in building the vehicle.
The black Explorer Platinum was assembled at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, located about five miles from the Holy Father’s hometown of Dolton, Illinois.
According to a March 8 report from FOX 9, a local news outlet, the vehicle features license plates reading “DA POPE” and “LEO XIV” and includes a customized 3.3.-liter V6 hybrid powertrain with a 10-speed hybrid transmission.
The SUV includes several Chicago-inspired details. The seat tags feature the Chicago flag, while the city’s skyline is stitched into the center console. Engravings of the skyline and St. Peter’s Basilica also appear on the scuff plates near the vehicle’s doors.
According to the outlet, the employees were told the vehicle was being built for a VIP, but were unaware it was intended for the Pope.
Jennifer Barilovich, lead electrical systems integration engineer and a Catholic, expressed excitement upon learning the SUV would ultimately be presented to the Holy Father.
“As soon as I could, I told my family,” Barilovich said. “I come from a huge Catholic family, so everyone was thrilled and just thought it was the coolest project."
Team members also wrote letters to the Pontiff expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to work on the project and sharing their faith.
Ford said the Pope plans to use the vehicle to travel across the grounds of the Vatican.