What Renaissance machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci is often called the first self-propelled cart?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart is often called the first self-propelled vehicle.

Leonardo designed the cart around 1478–1480. Unlike a modern car, it was powered by coiled springs rather than an internal-combustion engine. The springs were wound before release, and a system of gears transferred their energy to the wheels. The front wheels could be programmed to follow a predetermined path, giving the machine a theatrical or stage-purpose function.

The cart was probably intended for court festivities and could move without a visible driver. It may have helped create an automated spectacle rather than transport people over roads. Because the surviving evidence is a drawing and related notes, details of the original construction remain uncertain.

Reconstructions have demonstrated that the mechanism can work. Calling it a car is an understandable modern comparison, but “self-propelled cart” better describes its spring-driven design.