What wheeled vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design as a self-propelled cart?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart, a wheeled vehicle moved by internal mechanical power.

The design appears in Leonardo's notebooks and is often described as an early precursor to the automobile. It used springs to store energy and a system of gears to transmit that energy to the wheels. Steering could be set in advance, allowing the cart to follow a predetermined path.

Unlike a modern car, Leonardo's cart had no combustion engine, electric motor, pedals, or driver-operated steering system. It was closer to a programmable theatrical machine or mechanical stage vehicle than to a road automobile.

The cart's exact date is uncertain, but it is generally associated with Leonardo's work in the late 15th or early 16th century. In 2006, the Museo Galileo in Florence displayed a reconstruction, helping visitors see how the compact spring-and-gear mechanism could operate.