What name is commonly given to Leonardo da Vinci’s early motorized cart?

Leonardo da Vinci’s early motorized cart is commonly called the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo drew the mechanism in the Codex Atlanticus around 1478 to 1480. Unlike an ordinary wagon pulled by animals, it was designed to move through stored mechanical energy. Coiled springs inside the cart powered the wheels, while a steering system helped determine its path.

The cart was probably intended for theatrical or ceremonial use rather than road transport. It may have been able to travel only a limited distance, and its route appears to have been set in advance. That makes it an important early example of programmable mechanical movement, even though it was not an automobile.

The machine is sometimes called the world’s first car, but that description can mislead readers. It had no engine, fuel system, or passenger cabin like a modern car. In 2006, a working replica was built and displayed at the Museo Galileo in Florence.