Dream Cars Exhibit at the High Museum of Art

Even if the great majority of motorists use their automobiles as point A to point B machines exclusively, the ugly truth is that carmakers and designers these days have the bad habit of developing cars like that ever since the model is just a sketch on a clean sheet of paper.

Fortunately, the past gave us petrolheads a few examples of unadulterated beauty and boundless artistry on four wheels. Some of the cars designed in that vein are the Jaguar E-Type, Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, first-gen Ford Mustang, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, and the list goes on with a handful of other landmark automobiles.

As opposed to the highly functional but soulless appliances we drive today, the twentieth century was the era of pure automotive styling, raw undiluted performance and bucket loads of character in a car. 'Dream Cars: Innovative Design, Visionary Ideas' includes a great deal of variety - from Paul Arzens' 1942 L'Oeuf Electrique (Electric Egg) to the modern fabric-skinned 2001 BMW GINA Light Visionary Concept designed by Christopher Bangle.

Spreading over 10,000 square feet, the exhibit features iconic automobiles made from 1932 to just a few years ago, styling sketches, scale models and almost 20 concept vehicles. Highlights include Marcello Gandini's Lancia Stratos HF Zero design study from 1970, which sports a height of only 33 inches, as well as William Stout's 1936 Scarab, widely regarded as the car that paved the way of the contemporary minivan.

The exhibition examines cars through five individual themes: individual makers, the impact of styling, visionary designers, the design process, and the influence of automobile fairs. Scroll down and play the video below to find out more about the 'Dream Cars: Innovative Design, Visionary Ideas' exhibit.