Leonardo is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most versatile person who ever lived. Leonardo is also revered for his technological ingenuity. As a scientist, he greatly advanced knowledge in the fields of anatomy, civil engineering, optics, and hydrodynamics. He invented musical instruments, hydraulic pumps, reversible crank mechanisms, mortar shells and steam cannons, and designed a helicopter, a tank and a car.

Although most historians agree that the birth of the modern car was in the late 19th century. It was more than 500 years ago that Leonardo drew plans for the world's first self-propelled vehicle. Started as a school project, this car was built by me as an 18 year old in 1997 from Leonardo da Vinci's original 1478 drawings.  The design combines all the details and components of his sketches into a running, self-propelled system. 

The drive system looks very much like a clockwork. In fact, Leonardo's studies of this car are closely linked to his studies of clockworks. This system allows the car to move continuously. The levers pull the leaf springs that move the car. This was the world's first driving Leonardo car and it attracted huge public attention in 2000.

Throughout the years, the automobile was displayed in some well-known Leonardo da Vinci exhibitions. In 2000, the reconstruction was seen in the “Martin Gropius Bau” Berlin, Germany in the exhibition of the “Codex Leicester and Joseph Beuys". In 2007 the car was displayed in Europe’s biggest exhibition "Leonardo Da Vinci - The European Genius" in the Basilica Koekelberg in Brussels.