Pope John Paul II’s personal car–a 1975 Ford Escort GL–will be on display at the Kruse Automotive and Carriage Museum and then the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas before Kruse International auctions it off. From the Associated Press:
Kruse also sold the car for John Paul in 1996 to Illinois businessman Jim Rich during the firm’s annual Labor Day weekend sale in the town about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne. Rich traveled to Rome to give his check for $102,000 to the pope.Rich has said he’s selling the car due to financial troubles at his restaurant, bar and entertainment complex in Sugar Grove, Ill.
The pope used the car when he was a cardinal in Poland and stored it after he became pope in 1978.
Link (Thanks, David “Swapdrive” Steinberg!)
UPDATE: BB reader Christopher Borresen says: “I just moved into Sugar Grove (pop. 6000) with the hope that there would be at least one decent watering hole. The only place *at all* is this “restaurant, bar and entertainment complex” which is currently shuttered. Apparently, there’s a father/son battle over the club and the car may not make it to auction on time as a result. It’s payday – all I wanted was a beer.” Link