Overview
- Jim and Lia Farley paid for the one-off 2026 Explorer and presented it to Pope Leo XIV during a private Vatican audience on Feb. 28.
- The SUV was assembled at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant with a confidential team effort that workers described as a career highlight.
- Farley delivered a team photo and handwritten letters from plant employees, and the pope blessed rosaries to send back to the staff.
- The Platinum AWD hybrid features a 3.3-liter V6 with a 10-speed hybrid transmission plus an antenna compatible with European radio.
- Personalized details include Chicago flag seat tags, Chicago skyline stitching and door-sill etchings with St. Peter’s Basilica, and vanity plates reading “DA POPE” and “LEO XIV.”