Pope's Car for Sale - Story Update

Here’s an update on an interesting story from last month. As you might remember, the 1999 metallic gray Volkswagen Golf which once belonged to Pope Benedict XVI was being auctioned on eBay. Sadly, it appears that the auction ended without a winner, as the highest bid failed to match the reserve price which had been set by current owners, GoldenPalace.com.

This was the second time in two years that the so-called “Popemobile” had been put up for auction. The first time around, the online casino known for wild publicity stunts purchased the car from a German male for around $244,000. The bidding was fast and furious on that occasion, with the price of the vehicle doubling in the final 24 hours. After winning the auction, Golden Palace had placed the words “Pope Benedict Mobile” on the side of the car, along with a number of advertisements.

And while eBay had confirmed that the current Pope had once owned the car (his secretary had bought it for him, although indications are that he never drove it), the current round of bidding failed to live up to the expectations of the Texas-based casino. It is unknown, however, what those expectations truly were, as reserve prices on eBay are not known to the public. What is known is that the bidding surpassed the $204,000 mark.<>
Golden Palace claimed that they were prepared to give 40% of the proceeds to charity and pay for shipping from England to its new owner. But for the time being, it looks as though the Popemobile will be staying right where it is.

For our original story on this wacky auction, click here.

Pope's Car for Sale - Story Update