Leonardo da Vinci’s armored vehicle resembled a tank in his military designs.
Leonardo sketched the vehicle in the late 15th century, probably around 1487–1489, while working in Milan for Ludovico Sforza. The drawing shows a conical, turtle-like armored shell mounted on wheels. Several small cannons project through openings around the structure, allowing the crew to fire in multiple directions.
The vehicle was intended to be moved by people turning cranks connected to the wheels. Modern reconstructions have pointed out that the crank arrangement shown in the surviving drawing would not work as drawn because of a likely error or deliberate concealment. Some historians think Leonardo may have included the flaw to prevent the design from being copied.
It was not a modern tank in the technical sense: it had no engine, and there is no evidence that Leonardo or the Milanese army built it. The familiar label “tank” is a later comparison based on its armored, wheeled fighting role and enclosed shape.