What vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design to move without horses?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart to move without horses.

The machine appears in drawings from the late 15th century. It used coiled springs hidden inside drums to store energy, while a system of gears and components transferred that energy to the wheels. The cart could be set to follow a predetermined route rather than being continuously pushed or pulled.

The mechanism is commonly described as an early programmable vehicle. Its steering system could be adjusted before operation, making the cart more than a simple spring-powered toy. Some historians connect the design with theatrical stage machinery, where a moving object could surprise an audience.

Leonardo did not leave a surviving working model, and scholars have debated the exact reconstruction. Modern builders have produced functioning replicas, but they necessarily interpret incomplete drawings. The cart is therefore best understood as a sophisticated Renaissance mechanical design, not a motor car in the modern sense.