Which Leonardo da Vinci design is widely regarded as an early self-propelled car?

Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart is widely regarded as an early design for a self-moving vehicle.

The cart appears in Leonardo’s studies from the late fifteenth century. Unlike a normal wagon pulled by animals, it was designed to move using stored energy from coiled springs. The springs turned drums, while a system of gears and cams controlled the cart’s motion and steering.

The machine was probably intended for theatrical or ceremonial use rather than personal transportation. It could travel a limited distance and follow a preset route, making it closer to a programmable stage device than to a modern automobile. Reconstructions have demonstrated that the design can work when its mechanisms are interpreted correctly.

Calling it the first car is a useful popular shorthand, but it can be misleading. Leonardo’s cart had no engine, and it did not carry passengers in the modern sense. Its historical importance lies in applying mechanical automation and stored energy to a wheeled vehicle.