What type of vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design as one of the earliest self-propelled carts?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart, an early mechanical vehicle powered by wound springs.

The cart appears in Leonardo’s drawings from the late 15th century. Two large leaf springs stored energy, while a system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels. The steering mechanism could be set in advance, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined path rather than being continuously guided by a driver.

The design is often called Leonardo’s car, although it was not an automobile in the modern sense. It had no engine, fuel tank, pedals, or brakes like a modern road vehicle. Its likely purpose was theatrical: the cart may have been intended to move scenery or a ceremonial figure during court festivities.

A full-scale reconstruction was built in 2006 by the Museo Galileo team and proved that the mechanism could move. The surviving drawings do not provide every construction detail, so reconstructions necessarily involve interpretation.