What wheeled device did Leonardo da Vinci design around 1478 that is often called an early automobile?

Leonardo da Vinci’s early automobile-like device is called the self-propelled cart.

Leonardo designed the cart around 1478. Unlike an ordinary wagon, it was intended to move without an animal pulling it. Coiled springs stored energy, while a system of gears transferred that energy to the wheels. Steering could be programmed through blocks placed on a control system, making the cart an early example of programmable mechanical motion.

The cart was probably conceived for theatrical displays or court entertainments rather than everyday transport. Leonardo’s surviving drawing does not show every construction detail, so modern reconstructions have helped researchers interpret how the mechanism may have worked.

Calling it an “automobile” is useful as a comparison, but it did not have an engine or passenger cabin like a modern car. “Self-propelled cart” is the more precise historical description and reflects its spring-powered design.