Leonardo da Vinci Armored Car Model*

This artifact is a modern three-dimensional depiction of drawings made circa 1485 by Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo drew a model of a war machine, possibly for a presentation to Ludovico il Moro, “The Moor”, Duke of Milan, around 1485. The drawing in the original manuscript appears tidy and well laid-out; it was not a working design by a presentation drawing.

The armoured car, like other inventions such as the scythed chariot, has a classical pedigree. Like other Renaissance artist-engineers, Leonardo looked to the classical world for inspiration. He would then go beyond classical models and devise his own solutions.

Leonardo’s armored car contained many light cannons. These were arranged on a circular platform which was based on four wheels and provided a firing range of 360 degrees. The whole platform was surrounded by a conical cover with a sighting turret at the top. At the center of the car, two cranks were used to set the machine in motion.

The project is technically unrealisable and the drawing also contains a mechanical error which prevents the car from functioning – the cams as drawn would turn the wheels in opposing directions. But this is a demonstration piece, not a working drawing for technicians. The original manuscript is in the Biblioteca Reale in Torino, Folio 1030.

Many consider this armored car as the precursor to the modern tank.

Da Vinci’s vehicle has the light cannons arranged on a circular platform with wheels that allow for 360-degree range. The platform is covered by a large protective cover, like the shell of a turtle. The exterior is reinforced with metal plates, which were to be slanted to better deflect enemy fire. There is a sighting turret on top to coordinate the firing of the canons and the steering of the vehicle.

The motion of the machine was to be powered by eight people inside of the tank who would constantly turn cranks to spin the wheels. Leonardo suggested in his notes that the thought of using horses for power crossed his mind, but he dismissed it because he feared the animals would become too unpredictable in the confines of the tank.

Despite its elaborate design, da Vinci’s tank has a major flaw - the powering cranks went in opposite directions. This made forward motion impossible. Scholars suggest it would unlikely that such a basic engineering flaw would have escaped the detail-oriented mind of Leonardo da Vinci; they theorize that he inserted the flaw intentionally to prevent it ever being built. This machine calls to mind the modern military tank.