Posted on 04/29/2005 11:07:48 AM PDT by sully777
ROME (Reuters) - A second hand car once said to be registered in the name of Joseph Kardinal Ratzinger -- the new Pope Benedict - is up for sale on eBay and the sky seems to be the limit when it comes to bidding.
The vehicle, a metallic gray 1999 Volkswagen Golf, went up for auction on the German site (www.ebay.de) at a minimum price of 9,900 euros ($12,790) Wednesday and, just over 24 hours and more than 300 bids later, the price had temporarily hit one million euros ($1.3 million).
German Web Site n-tv.de identified the seller as Benjamin Halbe, 21, from the town of Olpe in Germany's Sauerland region, who said he bought the car from a local dealer in January.
"It drives like heaven," the site quoted Halbe as saying.
The Web Site of the German newspaper Bild quoted an eBay spokeswoman in Germany as saying the online auctioneer had checked with the vehicle licensing office which had confirmed the name of the original owner was genuine.
Ratzinger, who is from Bavaria in southern Germany, has been at the Vatican for more than two decades and is not known to drive. The Vatican was not available for comment on the auction, which closes on May 5 at 7.30 p.m. (1730 GMT).
The auction site describes the vehicle as a two liter petrol-powered manual, with 75,000 km (47,000 miles) on the clock since it was first registered in March 1999.
"Does black smoke or white smoke come out of the exhaust pipe?" one posting on the site asked - a reference to the signal used at the Vatican to show whether a new pope has been elected by the secret conclave of cardinals.
"Very funny," was the reply
What a steal! Driven by a little old cardinal from Bavaria.
I thought I heard that he never had a driver's license.
i thought they meant the REAL popemobile. silly me.
Can it be modified for Hush Thrush mufflers? Maybe some racing stripes.
This was totally in the prophecies of St. Malachy.
Nah, but the price includes the St. Christopher medallion on the dash.
I know where there is a real popemobile Pope John Paul used in another country. It has been abandoned. I wonder how much that would sell for.
A Time article says he never earned a driver's license. He probably had the car in his name but had a driver.
Proving once again that P.T. Barnum was right.
Nostradamus had a couple of quatrains on it as well. He also noted that the handle for the rear passenger window was missing.
Jeeez, it's just a Volkswagen....
0-to-1 mph in 1.2 seconds.
Jeeez, it's just a Volkswagen....
From memory of car problems, black smoke (burning oil) indicates an engine problem, and white smoke
(burning ATF) indicates an automatic transmission problem.
I thought black smoke was "Habeus carboretum" (we have a carbureator or fuel injection problem and it's running rich) and white smoke was "Habeus headgasketium (we have a leak in the head gasket) :lol: .
LQ
That brings up the question, why air bags?
This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George bought John Voight's old car.
BTW, almost everything reminds me of a Seinfeld episode.
Text of Auction, via Google Translate, with a bit of help from me
You will surely always travel well in this completely special Gulf IV. Unbelievable, but true: Until few months ago this noble belonged to no one less than the current Pope Benedict XVI. (Josef cardinal Ratzinger) this fact by the vehicle registration is certified (see photo). The car is in a very much maintained condition. By the way, the original seats are still in the vehicle!
Since I am only a private seller, this sale takes place without any guarantee. With this auction I must particularly point out that seriously not meant requirements will involve criminal consequences. I take over Ebay fees. Delivery is not available, you must pick up the car yourself. Search words: dad, pope, car, Pope, Benedict, Benedikt, Josef cardinal Ratzinger
On 29.04.05 Seller added the following: Due to many dubious Bieter we introduced the so-called accreditation and did not separate us from seriously meant requirements. Inadvertently if a Bieter should have been painted, the further serious interest has the passenger car to acquire, then it may contact over the new contact way us. Accreditation = fax at +49-(0)89-1488-154047 with Ebaynamen, copy identity card as well as recall number we become you thereupon for the auction for offering to de-energise or us with you in connection to set. Thank you for your understanding and further much fun!
On 29.04.05 Seller added the following: Still another small reference concerning the open further inquiries. I have meanwhile over 1000 open questions and can thus only sporadically and to seriously questions answer. Thank you nevertheless for nice references.
"Stupid is as stupid does."
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