10 April 2014, The Tablet

Motoring miracle


 
FOR 35 YEARS, the car used by Pope John Paul II while he was Archbishop of Krakow was left rusting in a barn in Poland with mice nesting in its upholstery. But new life has been breathed into the 60-year-old vehicle and on Monday it is due to start a journey to Rome to attend the late Pope’s canonisation. Marek Schramm, a German car collector with Polish roots, has, with 16 helpers, spent 2,500 hours restoring the FSO Warszawa M20 after he purchased it from the nephew of John Paul II’s former chauffeur in 2012. He has collected most of the vehicle’s original documents, including its bill of sale, guarantee and certificate of approval. The vehicle also has its original number plate: KR 96 13 with white letters on a black background. Schramm’s journey to Rome for the
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