Ford CEO Jim Farley recently delivered a made-in-Chicago “popemobile” to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, giving the made-in-Chicago pontiff a taste of home with a custom 2026 Ford Explorer Platinum.
The black hybrid SUV was built at the Chicago Assembly Plant just five miles from the pope’s childhood home in south suburban Dolton. Unique interior details include Chicago flag seat tags, the city’s skyline stitched on the center console and engraved scuff plates featuring a Chicago-to-Vatican design.
To drive home the Chicago flavor, Ford included a picture of the Chicago Assembly plant team, handwritten letters from employees and vanity license plates with “DA POPE” and “LEO XIV.” They also threw in a presumably empty Aurelio’s Pizza box from one of the pope’s favorite hometown restaurants.
“Pope Leo XIV has deep roots on Chicago’s South Side — just like Ford,” Farley said in a statement. “And we thought it would be especially fitting for him to drive an Explorer built at our Chicago Assembly Plant, which has been in continuous operation for more than a century.”
Farley reached out to the Vatican with the idea several months ago. He then enlisted the team at the Chicago Assembly Plant to build the vehicle, keeping the top-secret project under wraps.
On Feb. 28, Farley and his wife, Lia, traveled to the Vatican to deliver the keys to the pope, a gift from the couple. They even took it out for a spin, tooling around the Vatican grounds in the Chicago-built ride, putting the 3.3-liter V-6 hybrid Explorer through its paces.
“He noticed and appreciated the personal touches — details like the Chicago skyline stitching and the Chicago flag seat tags,” Farley said. “We even took a quick drive, and I can confirm the Holy Father enjoys driving a sporty ride.”
While not an official popemobile — the bulletproof glass-enclosed vehicles used to transport the pope to public events — the Ford Explorer was intended for Pope Leo XIV’s personal use. The pontiff shared with Farley that he used to drive a Ford Fusion six-speed around Chicago, and missed the days of manual shifting, according to a Ford spokesperson.
The ascension of Dolton native Robert Francis Prevost, who was named last year to head the Catholic Church as the first American-born pope, has put Chicago, and specifically the South Side, on the world stage.
Every possible connection between Pope Leo XIV and his hometown has been leveraged, from his affinity for the White Sox to Aurelio’s Pizza.
In July, the village of Dolton purchased the pope’s modest childhood home for $375,000 as a potential tourism and pilgrimage site. Preservation Chicago just named the shuttered St. Mary of the Assumption Church and School, where the future Pope Leo XIV once served as an altar boy, to its annual most endangered buildings list.
While the Ford assembly plant connection may seem a bit more of a stretch, it is nonetheless a source of pride for the workers who took part in the popemobile project, according to employee statements released by Ford.
“When I first got assigned to work on this, I didn’t know who it was for, but when I found out it was the Pope I was so excited,” said Jennifer Barilovich, lead electrical systems integration engineer for Explorer. “This is the highlight of my professional life so far.”
The oldest Ford auto plant in continuous operation, the Chicago Assembly Plant on the city’s Southeast Side has been churning out vehicles since 1924, when it launched with the Model T. It is still going strong with 4,587 workers on three shifts building the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs.
Creating a new vehicle for Chicago’s very own pope will certainly add to the plant’s storied history.
“Knowing that something we built is out there being enjoyed by the Pope makes me incredibly proud,” said Valerie Hernandez, a pre-delivery specialist and 30-year veteran at the plant. “It’s a privilege to be part of something bigger than yourself.”
rchannick@chicagotribune.com
