What type of transport did Leonardo da Vinci sketch as a spring-powered precursor to a car?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched a self-propelled cart as a spring-powered precursor to a car.

The cart appears in drawings from the late 15th century and is powered by coiled springs rather than by an animal or an external push. The springs drive the wheels through a system of gears, while a programmable steering mechanism can determine the cart’s path.

Leonardo may have intended the vehicle for theatrical performances or court ceremonies rather than ordinary transportation. Its compact design could make it appear to move by itself, an effect suited to Renaissance festivals and spectacles.

The cart is sometimes described as the world’s first automobile, but that wording can mislead. It lacked an engine and was not designed for sustained road travel. It is more precisely a clockwork, self-moving vehicle. A working replica was built in Italy in 2006 using the mechanisms visible in Leonardo’s drawings.