What wooden vehicle did Leonardo da Vinci design that could move under its own power?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a self-propelled cart powered by coiled springs.

The small four-wheeled vehicle appears in drawings from around 1478 to 1480. Its springs were wound before operation, and a system of gears and cams released the stored energy to drive the wheels and control the cart’s path.

The machine may have been intended for theatrical performances or court spectacles rather than transportation. It could move without someone riding or pushing it, making it an early example of a programmable mechanical motion system.

Modern reconstructions have shown that the design can work when built according to plausible interpretations of Leonardo’s drawings. It was not a gasoline automobile or an electric car, and “self-propelled” refers to stored mechanical energy.