Leonardo da Vinci sketched an armored vehicle in 1487, a wheeled military machine often compared with a modern tank.
The vehicle had a conical, shell-like cover made from wooden plates reinforced with metal. It was intended to protect soldiers inside while allowing them to fire weapons through openings around the perimeter. Leonardo’s drawing also includes wheels and internal mechanisms for moving the vehicle.
The design is often called Leonardo’s tank, but “armored vehicle” is a more historically careful description. It was not a tracked tank, and its proposed crew-powered mechanism appears to contain a deliberate flaw or mismatch in the gears. Historians debate whether that flaw was accidental or intended to keep the design secret.
The vehicle was never built for Renaissance warfare. Its importance lies in combining armor, mobility, and concentrated firepower in one documented concept.