What armored military vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design with sloped protective plates?

Leonardo da Vinci’s armored military vehicle with sloped protective plates was his fighting vehicle.

Leonardo designed the vehicle in the late fifteenth century as a mobile platform protected by angled armor. Its conical shell was intended to deflect incoming projectiles, while openings around the structure allowed weapons to be used from inside. The concept is often compared with a modern tank.

The proposed vehicle was powered by crews turning internal cranks connected to wheels. Historians have debated whether the surviving drawing contains a deliberate mechanical error or simply an impractical transmission arrangement. Either way, the design was not constructed for Renaissance warfare.

Calling it a “tank” is convenient but anachronistic. Leonardo’s vehicle had armor, wheels, and weapons, yet it lacked an engine and the operational systems of a modern armored fighting vehicle. Its importance is as an early integrated concept for protected mobile firepower.