Pope Francis' last Popemobile is a Ram 1500.

      ABC News/YouTube screengrab

      

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      Today, the world bid farewell to Pope Francis. Often regarded as a “man of the people,” he maintained that reputation even in death, being transported in a simple wooden coffin. As the funeral procession made its way to his final resting place at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the hearse was anything but traditional; it was a full-size pickup truck, representative of the everyday person.

      We hadn't intended to report on the papal funeral on The Drive, but the choice of vehicle for the procession caught my editors' attention. According to Britannica, during his 12 years as pope, Francis set aside the custom of using a Popemobile for public events and instead opted to walk or use more modest vehicles, like compact cars. If he did use a Popemobile, it typically was a modified version of a Jeep, Fiat, Hyundai, or Kia.

      Pope Francis had a particular fondness for trucks, having used a first-generation Nissan Frontier during a visit to Mauritius. Although he received a new electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class Popemobile in December, it seems poetic that his final journey would be in a Ram 1500.

      The Vatican estimates that over 250,000 mourners attended the funeral, with an additional 150,000 lining the motorcade route. Likely, none of them anticipated that the pontiff would travel in the bed of a fourth-generation Ram pickup.

      The truck included familiar Popemobile features, such as a standing platform and protective overhead shield, yet it was mostly open-air.

      Pope Francis often compared the fully-enclosed bulletproof Popemobiles to a sardine can and generally rejected them. If he had to use a Popemobile, he preferred it to be open-air, which allowed for a better connection with the public.

      While acknowledging the increased risk of assassination, he remarked to a Spanish newspaper, “I know that something could happen to me, but it’s in the hands of God.” Rest in peace, Pope Francis. You can view much of the procession on ABC’s coverage here:

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