The 1964 Lincoln Continental stretch limo that once belonged to Pope Paul VI will go to the highest bidder on August 19 at the Quail Lodge car auction.
The holy roller was built at the special request of the Vatican to the Ford Motor Company to transport Pope Paul VI through the streets of New York City in order to address the U.N. on world peace. It took two weeks to build the limo and it was a rush job which was completed on October 5, 1965.
The limo has a length of 21 feet, and is equipped with handrails, step plates, a raised seat for the Pontiff, a public address system, supplemental interior lighting and auxiliary power from a bank of seven batteries.
The most eye-catching item on the Lincoln is its removable roof section. The transparent rear landaulet roof and roof-mounted auxiliary windshield actually guarded the Pope and his entourage while allowing the thongs of admirers that lined the parade route to catch a clear view of him.
On his memorial visit to the Big Apple, the Pontiff also performed a huge mass at Yankee Stadium, made a pit stop in the Bronx and visited the World's Fair in Queens.
Other noteworthy passengers of the famed Lincoln were the astronaut crews from several Apollo missions. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong rode through the streets of Chicago in the Lincoln stretch during ticker tape parades in their honor.
The car is expected to fetch upwards of $250,000 at the auction.
--Car Chick
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