The popemobile which will be used by Pope Francis during his pastoral visit to Sarajevo on June 6 under the slogan “Peace be with you” was delivered today to Split. 

The local media reports that the popemobile has been transferred from Ancona to Split on the regular ship route “Marco Polo” on the night between June 3 and 4 from which it will be transferred to Sarajevo. 

The popemobile is a Mercedes G500 produced in 2007. It was used by Pope Benedict XVI mostly during the ceremonies at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. 

The popemobil is an informal name for the specially designed motor vehicles used by the Catholic Pope during outdoor public appearances. The popemobile was designed to allow the pope to be more visible when greeting large crowds. 

Following the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981, the popemobile was fitted with bulletproof glass on four sides. However, it was sometimes driven with open windows.

Several vehicles used for the pope's overseas visits have remained in the host country and were reused on his subsequent visits. The Mexican papamóvil, for example, was brought out in public during John Paul II's funeral. 

The Ford Motor Company produced a series of cars based on its presidential limousines used in the United States. Such a vehicle was used during Pope Paul VI during his visit to New York in 1965 and Bogota in 1970. 

Similarly, the Philippine automobile manufacturer Francisco Motors produced the popemobile for the papal visit for World Youth Day 1995 in Manila. It was funded by voluntary contributions from the private sector, and it had bulletproof windows, bombproof parts, and passed inspection by the Swiss Guard. 

When John Paul II died in April 2005, the Philippine popemobile was briefly borrowed by parish officials of the Quiapo Church to be put on display. It subsequently became a pilgrimage destination for Filipino devotees who could not go to the Vatican for John Paul's funeral.

Land Rover also produced a popemobil for the visit of John Paul II to England. This vehicle is exhibited today at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. 

The first time Pope John Paul II travelled to his home country the white painted vehicle was based on the Polish mark FSC Star, a small truck from a firm in Starachowice. The maximum speed of the vehicle was 6 kilometers per hour.