What Leonardo da Vinci design is often called an early automobile because it moved without being pushed?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart is often called an early automobile because it moved without being pushed.

Leonardo drew the cart around 1478–1480. Springs wound on drums supplied its stored energy, while programmed cams controlled its movement and steering. The design was probably intended for theatrical performances rather than transport, making it closer to a mechanical stage device than a practical car.

The cart was reconstructed in the modern era, and the reconstructions demonstrated that its mechanism could work. It had three wheels, with two large driving wheels and a smaller steering wheel. Its compact form helped it fit inside a performance setting.

The cart was not powered by an engine, gasoline, or steam. That distinction matters: “first automobile” is a modern comparison, not Leonardo’s own description. The design is best understood as an ingenious Renaissance automaton and a notable ancestor of self-propelled vehicles.