Pope Francis U.S. Visit: Fiat Car Ride Piques Interest from Customers

When Pope Francis landed on U.S. soil he shocked the world by being picked up and driving off in not a town car, not a Chevy Suburban, not the Popemobile, but a Fiat. Now, as a result, the Italian car company is reporting that interest from customers is surging as several people have come through their doors as a result of the Papal's pickup.

 O #Papa #Francisco circula de #Fiat #500L em visita aos Estados Unidos! A escolha de um carro "popular" simples em detrimento de modelos luxuosos e blindados mais uma vez marcou a passagem do pontífice por uma país estrangeiro. A escolha de #Francisco segue a simplicidade e desapego que seu papado procura demonstrar.

A photo posted by Car News (@carnewsoficial) on Sep 24, 2015 at 5:32am PDT

TMZ notes that as the world was shocked by Pope Francis' ride, Fiat couldn't be happier. A dealership in Washington D.C. has reportedly been hit hard, as manager Mark Cowdin claims that customers "are pouring in" to learn more about the ride.

Sadly, it's not really transitioning to sales right now, but Cowdin is remaining positive that will soon change.

#Repost @solangelee ・・・ El @pontifex_es llega en su #fiat #lacasablanca #Live @uninoticias @univision #PapaenEEUU A photo posted by Alberto Ciurana (@albertociurana) on Sep 23, 2015 at 6:41am PDT

Of course, being that the Pope visited Washington D.C., it's not so shocking that's the one seeing much of the potential customers.

Cowdin explains that they were unaware that the Pope was going to be riding off in their 500L model, but our guess is they were thrilled once it was discovered.

Pope Francis' visit to the United States wasn't all about improving business for Fiat, believe it or not. He first met with President Barack Obama and family and spoke to members of Congress.

And wouldn't you believe it, he made John Boehner cry...

Welcome to the White House, @Pontifex! Your messages of love, hope, and peace have inspired us all.

— President Obama (@POTUS) September 23, 2015