A popemobile exhibition at the Vatican features the vehicle popes have used since 1930

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is opening a celebration of the popemobile, the now-iconic vehicle that for nearly a century has let popes get close to the faithful at home and abroad.The Vatican Museums on Wednesday unveiled a preview of the exhibition commemorating “A Century of the Popemobile,” featuring eight Mercedes-Benz versions of the car that popes have used since 1930. It officially opened to the public Thursday.Separately, Pope Leo XIV — a big car lover — met with top Mercedes-Benz executives and thanked them for their partnership with the Holy See. In his remarks, the Chicago-born pope noted that the advances in automotive technology had accompanied the advances and evolutions of papal travel.“Over the decades, the popemobile has evolved from a means of transportation into an instrument of encounter, enabling the pontiff to draw closer to the faithful during pastoral visits and public celebrations,” Leo said. “In this way, your work has helped facilitate the church’s missio