When Ars was invited to do a test drive of the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze in Nashville, we wanted to make the most of our trip down south. Between playing the tourist by looking for live music and eating hot chicken, we made a stop at the Lane Motor Museum. Founded by Jeff Lane in 2003, the museum houses an extraordinary collection of rare and replica vehicles, including oddities and historical models.

We took plenty of pictures, but there were a lot of cars we missed as well. For a more complete look, we recommend you stop by next time you're in Nashville.

We've separated photos of some of the coolest cars into categories. The first category are traditional vehicles, plane components, or vehicle styles that have been modified to create something new and exciting. For instance, the replica Dymaxion, originally designed by Buckminster Fuller, is a spiritual ancestor of today's nerd/maker culture. The Dymaxion was supposed to eventually be an all-purpose vehicle, capable of flying, driving, and floating. Alas, after a couple fateful accidents and a lack of funding, work on the Dymaxion was discontinued.

Also notice the 1938 Citroën Berline Gazogene, which was modified during WWII to run on coal gas. It's a sort of twisted version of the alternative fuel push that the automotive industry is tinkering with today.

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

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Megan Geuss

Lane also has a variety of cars built for speed and/or track days. We particularly enjoyed the modified 1966 Citroën DS, built specifically to race on the ice. Ice racing is beloved in Minnesota and other parts of North America.

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Lane Motor Museum is probably best known for its collection of European cars. Some of them are astonishingly good replicas, others are the real deal. The museum acquired them through a variety of donors, including US servicemen who brought cars home after their tours of duty in Europe. Some Japanese cars are also represented too, including early models from well-known brands like Nissan and Subaru.

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

Megan Geuss

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Megan Geuss

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Megan Geuss

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Megan Geuss

By far the main draw at the Lane Motor Museum are the weird cars. These engineering marvels seem to be largely the work of a few dedicated engineers or hobbyists who want to turn a dream into a moving, metallic, street-legal reality. Propeller-driven cars and bikes were surprisingly popular in the 1920s and 1930s. To imagine a world in which such contraptions caught on is a wonderful thought experiment.