A special Lamborghini Huracan gifted to Pope Francis in 2017 sold for nearly one million dollars at an auction in Sothesby's in London. The unidentified buyer won the bid for $850,000 (£615,000).
The luxury car was originally valued at $211,000 and was painted in white with gold trimmings to represent the colors of the Vatican. It also bore the signature of Pope Francis on its hood and His Holiness also blessed the vehicle when it arrived in November last year.
Proceeds to the auction will go to the charities that the Pope has specifically chosen. A big part of the money will go to the restoration of Nineveh in Iraq, which was destroyed during an ISIS siege.
The remaining money will be divided among migrants and victims of human trafficking, as well as impoverished sites in Africa through organizations like the Amici per il Centrafrica Onlus, Groupe International Chirurgiens Amis de la Main and Pope John XXIII Community Association.
The two-seater Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 debuted in 2014 at a car show in Geneva and has been one of the Italian carmaker's most sellable vehicles since. It won the "Supercar of the Year" award from Top Gear that same year, according to the Catholic News Agency.
The Pope's Lamborghini comes with a 5.2-litre V10 engine that runs at 570bhp and a top speed of 198mph. The stock car is an entry-level model.
Pope Francis, however, never got to use the vehicle as it went into storage until the auction. His Holiness actually prefers to go around in a 1984 Renault for his personal errands and rides in a Hyundai Santa Fe or a Jeep Wrangler when he visits other countries.
The Pope even ditched the traditional bulletproof Pope Mobile because he likened riding in it to being inside a sardine can, according to a Spanish newspaper. Pope Francis also did not like that the Pope Mobile prevented him from reaching out to the people during his motorcade.
