Leonardo da Vinci’s armored vehicle concept is commonly called an armored car.
Leonardo drew the vehicle around 1487 for military use. Its conical, turtle-like shell was covered with armor plates and included openings for cannons. Inside, people would turn cranks connected to wheels, allowing the machine to move while protecting its crew from enemy fire.
The surviving drawing contains a famous mechanical problem: the gears, as shown, would make the wheels turn in opposite directions. Historians often interpret this as an intentional error, a copying issue, or evidence that the design was not fully engineered for construction. The vehicle was never built or used in Leonardo’s lifetime.
The design is often described as an early tank, but “tank” is a modern classification. It had armor and weapons, yet it lacked an engine and practical tested mobility. Its significance lies in combining protected movement, artillery, and mechanical drive in one concept.