Popemobile /ˈpoʊpməbiːl/ (Italian: Papamobile ) is an informal name for the specially designed motor vehicles used by the Catholic Pope during outdoor public appearances. It is usually considered as the heir of the antiquated sedia gestatoria. The Popemobile was designed to allow the pope to be more visible when greeting large crowds. There have been many different designs for popemobiles since Pope Paul VI first used a modified Toyota Land Cruiser to greet crowds in Saint Peter's Square, in 1976. Some popemobiles are open air, while others have bulletproof glass to enclose the pope (these were deemed necessary after the Ali Ağca assassination attempt). Some allow the pope to sit, while others are designed to accommodate the pope standing. The variety of popemobiles allows the Vatican to select a popemobile appropriate for each usage depending upon the level of security needed, distance and speed of travel. The Vatican vehicle registration plates for all official state vehicles be...