Back in February of this year Motor Transport ran a story about one of the two legendary 1982 Popemobiles, the armour-plated trucks that were built for Pope John Paul II’s UK tour. The six-wheel Leyland Constructor had gone to auction, and had been purchased for £37,000 by John Hanlon of Greenore, Ireland.
Well, look what I’ve found – the original MT news story announcing the building of the truck back in 1981. I knew that builder Ogle Design also created the Range Rover Popemobile, but it says here that there was also plans to produce a BL Sherpa minibus for him! Does anyone know if this was ever built? If it was, it would help to explain why he never came back here!