*whistles aimlessly while scanning the sky and drawing circle with toe in the dirt*
This is the only picture that exists/I'm-aware-of that shows 1940 Buick headlights on a Baja'd VW. I could crouch down in the driver's seat and sight right down the beam of the headlight.
Nowadays it's more about an even field of illumination. My Hella H-4s were great in the 90s, but today's projector headlights are better.
A light above your line of sight will prevent blind spot on hill crests.