The self-moving carriage (1952)

Constructed in 1952, this self-moving carriage documents one of the earliest interpretations of the drawing by Leonardo, previously considered to have been the forerunner of the automobile.

The two large leaf springs found behind the rudder in the front part of the carriage are charged manually by means of a pincer device, and as they relax, they transmit their stored energy into the moving wheels, causing the carriage to advance. In order to explain the transmitting of the energy generated by the spring leaf to the wheels, the model was provided with some connecting lines, which however did not appear in Leonardo’s drawing. These joined the large springs to the pegged wheels at the corners connected directly to the axles of the moving wheels.