What type of vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design to move without horses or people pushing it?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart to move without horses or people pushing it.

The cart appears in drawings from around 1478 to 1480 and is often described as an early ancestor of the automobile. Its movement came from coiled springs hidden inside the vehicle. Gears transferred the spring energy to the wheels, while a steering system could be set in advance so the cart followed a chosen path.

Because it was probably created for theatrical performances or court spectacles, the cart did not need to carry passengers over long distances. It was more like a programmable stage machine than a practical road vehicle. The design also lacked an internal-combustion engine, electric motor, and modern braking system.

A full-size reconstruction built in 2006 demonstrated that the mechanism could move when made according to Leonardo’s drawings. Scholars still debate some details of the original design, but the spring-powered cart is a clear example of Leonardo using stored mechanical energy to create autonomous motion.