What name is given to Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest known self-propelled vehicle design?

Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest known self-propelled vehicle design is commonly called the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo sketched the spring-powered cart around 1478–1480. Coiled springs inside the vehicle stored energy, while a system of gears and mechanisms transferred that energy to the wheels. The design could be set to travel along a predetermined path, making it an early example of programmable mechanical motion.

The cart was not an automobile in the modern sense. It had no engine, steering wheel, fuel system, or passenger compartment. Historians also debate its exact purpose, although it may have been intended for theatrical performances or court spectacles.

A reconstructed model was displayed and tested in the twentieth century. The cart is often linked to Leonardo’s later automata, including his mechanical lion and robotic knight, but these were separate designs with different purposes.