Actually, I know why but it's still ridiculous.

Late pope's Ford Escort sells for $680,000
Sat Oct 29, 2005 07:26 PM ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The only car the late Pope John Paul II ever owned sold at auction for $680,000 on Saturday to a Houston attorney and car collector.

The car, which fetched much less than previous estimates of $2 million to $5 million, attracted four or five bids before being purchased by John O'Quinn, said a spokeswoman for the Kruse International auction house.

The 1975 powder-blue Ford Escort went on the auction block in Las Vegas after a father-son ownership spat was resolved earlier this month.

The humble four-door sedan was purchased through the same auction house a decade ago by Illinois restaurateur Jim Rich for $102,000. He put the vehicle on display under glass in his suburban Chicago restaurant, but the establishment was forced to close a year ago.