Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart was a four-wheeled mechanical vehicle powered by springs and gears.
Leonardo designed the cart in the late fifteenth century, probably for theatrical performances or court spectacles. Wound springs supplied energy, while gears transferred that energy to the wheels. A programmable steering system using pegs allowed the cart to follow a set path rather than simply roll straight ahead.
The surviving drawings do not show every construction detail, and scholars debate how closely later reconstructions match Leonardo’s original intention. In 2006, an Italian team led by Mario Taddei built a working model based on the drawings.
The cart is sometimes called an early automobile, but that label can mislead. It had no internal-combustion engine and was not designed for carrying passengers on roads. It is better understood as an early programmable theatrical machine or clockwork vehicle.