Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart, designed around 1478–1480, was an early precursor of the automobile.
The cart used clockwork-like springs to store energy and a system of gears to drive its wheels. A steering mechanism could be set in advance, allowing the vehicle to follow a predetermined route rather than being continuously guided by a driver. The design may have been intended for theatrical performances or court entertainments.
Leonardo left drawings rather than a surviving original cart, so modern researchers reconstructed its mechanism from the sketches. In 2006, a model built by the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence demonstrated that the design could operate when accurately interpreted.
Calling it an automobile does not mean it used an engine like a modern car. It was powered by wound springs and lacked a passenger cabin, brakes, and modern steering control. Its importance lies in combining stored mechanical energy, wheels, and autonomous movement.