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A 1999 metallic grey Volkswagen Golf, said to be in mint condition, is currently receiving record interest on auction website eBay - and bidding has now reached over ?40,000. It's no ordinary Golf, however: it formerly belonged to Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, now the Pope. It was bought in southern Germany for the then Cardinal by his private secretary, and then taken to Rome.
Ratzinger sold the car to a German dealership in January, before he was appointed to the Church's top job; it was bought by 21-year-old Benjamin Halbe for ?6,800. Halbe said: "One week my Golf was just a normal car that had once belonged to a cardinal and the next it had belonged to one of the most important figures in the world. When I bought it no one could have guessed that Josef Ratzinger would become so famous." He added that the car was in good condition, with a low mileage, and that "the cardinal certainly never had an accident in this car, and neither did I. It must be blessed." Volkswagen is reported to be interested in supplying another car to the new Pope, but this time a bespoke-built model.
Ratzinger sold the car to a German dealership in January, before he was appointed to the Church's top job; it was bought by 21-year-old Benjamin Halbe for ?6,800. Halbe said: "One week my Golf was just a normal car that had once belonged to a cardinal and the next it had belonged to one of the most important figures in the world. When I bought it no one could have guessed that Josef Ratzinger would become so famous." He added that the car was in good condition, with a low mileage, and that "the cardinal certainly never had an accident in this car, and neither did I. It must be blessed." Volkswagen is reported to be interested in supplying another car to the new Pope, but this time a bespoke-built model.
