Cars used by Pope Francis during his 3-day visit to Indonesia, from Toyota Innova Minivan to customize Tiger MV3 Pope Mobile.
The use of Toyota Innova during the visit was based on the Vatican’s specific request for an ordinary, commonly used car.
For the Mass service at Bung Karno Stadium on Thursday, the Pope used a custom-made bulletproof Tiger MV3 Pope Mobile.
Pope Francis concluded his apostolic visit to Muslim-majority Indonesia on Friday as part of his extensive 12-day tour of four Asian countries, which kicked off on 3rd September 2024.
During his 3-day visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis opted to use Toyota Innova Zenix Minivan with the special SCV1 number plate, a family car he depended on throughout his stay in the country until the last day.
“The choice of vehicle was based on the Vatican’s specific request for an ordinary, commonly used car,” Major General Achiruddin, Presidential Security Force commander, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe.
But on Thursday, a custom-made bulletproof tactical vehicle known as the Tiger MV3 Pope Mobile was used to chauffeur the 87-year-old pontiff for the Mass service at Bung Karno Stadium.
Built by Indonesian state defence company, PT Pindad, the Tiger MV3 Pope Mobile was specifically tailored to suit the pontiff’s needs during the Grand Mass attended by about 90 thousand Catholics on Thursday.
Features added to the Pope Mobile Tiger MV3 to accommodate the mobility needs of Pope Francis includes folding step to access the rear seat, a sunroof on the driver’s cabin, a rear step for Pope guard.