Pope John Paul II’s Ford Escort Expected To Fetch $300k In Auction

An unassuming 1976 Ford Escort GL sedan is going under the hammer, with the auction house predicting it will sell for up to $300,000. The reason? It once belonged to Saint Pope John Paul II.

The late Pope owned the light blue Ford Escort before he was elected as the head of the Catholic Church in 1978.

This specific car made headlines back in 2005 when it was sold to John O’Quinn, a car collector, for a stunning $690,000, so it’s not the first time this humble Escort is associated with big money.

O’Quinn acquired it from Jim Rich, who had bought the car at auction in 1996 for $102,000 but had to sell it when he became strapped for cash.

The car is presented in a condition close to when Pope John Paul II owned it, with the bodywork showing some dents, the original steel wheels present, no air conditioning and no radio. Power comes from a tiny 1.1-liter petrol engine.

One of the reasons the Papal Escort is expected to sell for less money than last time is because last time it was shortly after John Paul II had passed away. Even so, if this light blue Escort manages to sell for $300k at RM Sotheby’s Auburn Fall auction, it’ll probably be the most expensive second-gen example in the world.