What is the name of Leonardo da Vinci’s four-wheeled machine often called the first self-propelled vehicle?

Leonardo da Vinci’s four-wheeled machine often called the first self-propelled vehicle is Leonardo’s self-propelled cart.

Leonardo drew the cart in the late fifteenth century. Unlike an ordinary wagon, it was designed to move without an animal pulling it. Two large springs stored energy, while a system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels.

The cart also included a steering arrangement and a mechanism that controlled how far it traveled. Its planned motion was therefore closer to a programmable theatrical machine than to a road vehicle for passengers. Historians commonly connect it with stage performances and court entertainment.

The cart is sometimes described as an early automobile, but that wording can mislead. It had no engine, fuel tank, or modern transmission. Its importance lies in combining stored mechanical energy with programmed movement in a compact wheeled design.