Fiat Campagnola Pope John Paul II, 40th anniversary

99 Limited edition pieces exclusively sold by Brooklin Models

Premium 1:43 scale models, entirely handmade & designed in Bath, England.

Brooklin Models is proud to present an exclusive limited edition of the "Fiat Campagnola Pope John Paul II" to mark the 40th Anniversary of the attempted assassination of the Pope.

The distinguishing feature of this limited edition is the Pope John Paul II miniature hand painted by an Italian artist with a limited edition number of 99 Pieces. The miniature of Pope John Paul II makes the model unique, stopping time at one of the unforgettable moments in our history.

The Story:

The attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II took place on Wednesday, 13 May 1981, in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. The Pope was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck four times and suffered severe blood loss. Ağca was apprehended immediately and later sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court. The Pope later forgave Ağca for the assassination attempt. He was pardoned by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the Pope's request and was deported to Turkey in June 2000.

The Car:
The Fiat Campagnola was donated by the Fiat personnel to Pope John Paul II during his visit to Turin on the 13th of April, 1980. On May 12th 1980 the Campagnola was registered with plates SCV 1 and then mainly used for the official ceremonies in St Peter’s square. In fact John Paul II was on board this Campagnola when he was attacked. The car, in accordance with the Pope’s wishes, remained in service even after this dramatic episode, despite the misgivings of the security staff, because it allowed him closer contact with the faithful. The car is now shown in the Padiglione delle Carrozze of the Vatican.

Brooklin Models created these models using reference from the original Vatican Limousines that have been lovingly restored to running condition. These 1:43 scale models are exclusively produced in white metal, hand spray painted and hand assembled.

The Pope’s miniature artist:
Roberto Verardi is an eclectic artist, and a pioneer of 1:35 scale toy soldiers. He has collaborated with manufacturers in the static modelling sector, and also within the high fashion and art world.

These individually numbered models have been created for the VATICAN MUSEUMS and are packaged in special MUSEI VATICANI boxes.