"It drives heavenly," declared Benjamin Halbe, proud owner of the six-year-old vehicle. "Until last week, my Golf was actually just a normal cardinal's car."

Now, however, the 21-year-old looks to make a tidy sum. With five days left to the auction, betting has surpassed 40,000 euros ($52,000) for the pope's former wheels, more than three times what Halbe paid for it in January.

"It's the most looked at item we've ever had on eBay Germany," said a spokesman for the auction house's Berlin headquarters. Over a million users have clicked on the car since midday on Friday.

But the new owner may want to hire a chauffeur, if he or she is after papal authenticity. According to church insiders, Ratzinger would have been unlikely to have sat in the driver's seat: he doesn't have a license.