What Leonardo da Vinci machine was designed to move without a horse by using wound springs?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart intended to move without a horse by using wound springs.

The cart was conceived around 1478–1480 and is commonly described as an early programmable machine or ancestor of the automobile. Two large leaf springs stored energy, while gears transferred that energy to the wheels. Steering could be set in advance through a system of blocks and pins, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined path.

The machine was probably intended for theatrical or ceremonial use rather than transportation. A modern reconstruction built for an exhibition in Florence in 2006 demonstrated that the design could function when interpreted carefully. Leonardo’s cart had no engine, fuel system, or brakes in the modern automotive sense, so calling it a car is a useful comparison but not a precise technical description.