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Clockwork car - Leonardo da Vinci

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Should a time come when just about all fuel reserves dry up, drivers may find some solace in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. Among the celebrated genius' ground-breaking inventions was a drawing of what would have been the world's first self-propelled vehicle - a "clockwork car". Da Vinci's wooden cart would have been powered by springs wound in the opposite direction to the one in which the driver planned to travel. A rudimentary braking system was also incorporated. Had Leonardo also invented the first assembly line and car showroom in the 15th Century, the history of travel may have been quite different. Professor Paolo Galluzzi, who headed a team which recently built the vehicle from da Vinci's blueprint, said: "It is a very powerful machine. It could run into something and do serious damage."
BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | What will we drive when the oil runs out?


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