What self-propelled vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design to move without a horse?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart to move without a horse.

The cart, drawn in Leonardo’s notebooks around 1478–1480, used coiled springs concealed inside its framework. As the springs unwound, they drove the wheels through a system of gears. Steering could be set in advance, allowing the vehicle to follow a predetermined route rather than being continuously guided by a driver.

The design is often described as an early ancestor of the automobile, but it was not an automobile in the modern sense. It had no engine, fuel tank, or practical passenger compartment. Its springs supplied limited stored energy, and the mechanism was probably intended for theatrical effects or court entertainments.

A full-scale reconstruction made in 2006 demonstrated that the design could work. The cart is also commonly called Leonardo’s automobile, although “self-propelled cart” is the more precise name for the historical machine.