Leonardo da Vinci’s armored car was an armored vehicle driven by rotating wheels.
Leonardo designed the machine in the late 15th century, probably while seeking patronage from Ludovico Sforza in Milan. Its conical cover was reinforced with metal plates and fitted with openings for light weapons. The vehicle was intended to advance across a battlefield while protecting the people inside.
The design is sometimes called Leonardo’s tank, but that modern label can mislead. It was not a modern tank: it had no engine, tracked suspension, turret, or demonstrated battlefield use. The vehicle’s wheels were connected to internal cranks, and the surviving drawing appears to contain a mechanical problem that would prevent the wheels from turning correctly if built exactly as shown.
Its significance lies in combining armor, mobility, and distributed firepower in a single machine concept. It remained a design on paper during Leonardo’s lifetime.