What transport invention did Leonardo da Vinci design as a self-propelled cart?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart powered by wound springs and considered a precursor to the automobile.

The drawing, probably made around 1478–1480, shows a three-wheeled vehicle with two large driving wheels and a smaller steering wheel. Coiled springs stored energy, and a system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels. The cart was intended to move without an animal pulling it, making it one of Leonardo’s most striking mechanical inventions.

The design may have been created for theatrical performances or court spectacles rather than for everyday transportation. Its limited stored energy would have allowed only a short journey, and it could not match the range or power of a later engine-driven automobile. The steering arrangement also appears to have been constrained by the mechanism.

A full-scale reconstruction was built in the early 21st century by researchers studying Leonardo’s drawings. The cart’s precise date and intended use remain subjects of discussion, but its spring-driven propulsion is clearly represented. It was not powered by steam or gasoline.