Ford’s Chicago Plant Produces Special Explorer for Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV hasn’t been shy about his Chicago roots since taking the job but having ties to that toddling town is paying off in a new way for him courtesy of a new specialized Ford Explorer built at the company’s Windy City plant.
Jim and Lia Farley donated a 2026 Ford Explorer Platinum AWD hybrid car to Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 28. The Explorer was customized with a 3.3-liter V6 hybrid powertrain and 10-speed hybrid transmission, as well as an antenna that’s compatible with the European broadcast radio system. Vanity license plates read “DA POPE” and “LEO XIV.”
It is not the official “Popemobile,” but instead will be used onsite at the Vatican.
Jim Farley walked the pope, who began his career as Robert France Prevost teaching math and physics before eventually becoming the pope, through some of the Explorer’s features. Those details included several design references highlighting the Chicago-to-Vatican links, including door sills featuring the Chicago skyline and St. Peter’s Basilica.
The skyline is also stitched into the padded cover for the center armrest storage bin. And the seat tags are all replicas of the Chicago city flag. There were no Chicago White Sox references, the baseball team his eminence supports fervently.
“He noticed and appreciated all the personal touches,” Farley said in a statement. “We even took a quick drive, and I can confirm the Holy Father enjoys driving a sporty ride.”
According to Farley, what really stuck out from the conversation was the feeling of pride in the shared Chicago connection. The Chicago plant is just five miles away from the pope’s childhood home in Dolton, on the south side of Chicago. It’s also the company’s longest continuously running plant, opened by Henry Ford, it once produced the Model T.
Although the Explorer was a gift from Farley and his wife, he brought a photo of the Chicago Assembly plant workers as well as handwritten letters from those who actually assembled the Explorer. The Pope blessed several rosaries to bring back to employees.
Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.
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Proverbs 22:16 (NKJV):
"He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty."
Well that covers Ford dealerships, and the Ford family.
Who is going to handle all the recalls?