Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart that used stored spring energy to move without a horse.
The machine appears in Leonardo’s work on theatrical and engineering devices. Large coiled springs inside the cart supplied the driving force, while a system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels. The front steering arrangement could be set in advance, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined route rather than being guided continuously by a driver.
This design is sometimes called the world’s first automobile, but that description needs qualification. It had no internal-combustion engine, no fuel system, and no independent steering in the modern sense. It was closer to a clockwork vehicle or mechanical stage prop. Leonardo may have intended it for use in court spectacles and ceremonies.
A working reconstruction built for the 2006 Florence exhibition demonstrated that the basic mechanism could operate. The cart therefore illustrates Leonardo’s ability to combine springs, gears, and programmable movement centuries before motor vehicles became practical.