Pope Francis' Philly 'Popemobile-Sport' Auctioned For $82K

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The charity auction of the vehicle Pope Francis used during his Philadelphia visit in September lasted only 11 minutes.

His FIAT 500L sold for $82,000 to Michael and Kate Chapman of Chapman Auto Stores.

Chapman is a former Chairman of the Philadelphia Auto Show.

The charity auction was part of the Philadelphia Auto Show Black Tie Tailgate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Friday night.

Officials called it a “highly competitive in-person and remote auction,” which included 19 different bidders.

>>‘Popemobile Sport,’ Cool Car Of Pope Francis, Up For Auction In Philly

The sum, however, is considerably less than previous Pope vehicles had been auctioned for.

A Harley Davidson previously owned by Francis was sold at a 2014 Paris auction for $327,000, according to Philly.com.

Meanwhile, the previous pontiff, Pope Pope Benedict XVI, had his 1999 Volkswagen Golf purchased in a 2014 eBay auction for a whopping $244,590.83.

A new FIAT fetches roughly $20,000.

Catholic officials were pleased with the evening Friday. 

“What a magnificent spirit of generosity we witnessed this evening,” Bishop John J. McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said in a prepared statement. “To be able to auction the Papal FIAT in such a spirited environment while knowing that this incredible outcome allows us to spread Pope Francis’ message of love and care in a concrete way by supporting the charitable works of the Archdiocese is most gratifying. We extend a special thank you to the Philadelphia Auto Show and the Black Tie Tailgate for welcoming us here this evening and helping us to make this moment possible.”

The two FIAT 500Ls at the 2016 Philadelphia Auto Show were made available by FCA US LLC (“FIAT Chrysler”) for use in Philadelphia for the Papal visit to the United States.

The United States Secret Service (USSS) provided the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) of the vehicles used by the Holy Father in Philadelphia.

T While one of the FIAT 500Ls was auctioned, the second FIAT 500L used by Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia remains on display to the general public for the duration of the Philadelphia Auto Show, through Sunday, February 7.