Vern Ediger's 1949 Studebaker Landcruiser is a twin to the car he drove in high school, right down to the gull gray color. Powered by a flathead 6-cylinder engine and a 3-speed overdrive transmission, it is one of his favorite over-the-road cars to this day.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Vern Ediger, the Studebaker guru of Kansas, with the front end of a '48 Stude pickup truck.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The crisp, clean styling of Ediger's 1960 Studebaker Hawk looks as fresh today as it did when he bought it brand new. Designed by Raymond Loewy, this body style was the hallmark look for Studebaker from 1953 to 1961.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Ediger's slick 1952 Studebaker pickup is a rare 2R6 model with less than 40,000 miles on its all-original drivetrain. Its factory paint job, chrome bumper and grille still shine brightly on the curvaceous hauler.
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The factory upholstery on the '49 Land Cruiser was replicated by John McCall, a graduate of the McPherson College Auto Restoration program.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A look at the Land Cruiser's rear seat, with its fold-down armrest and plush upholstery, confirms Ediger's remark that traveling in the car is "like going down the road in an easy chair."
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
When Ediger found his Land Cruiser, it had a bad engine in it and had been sitting in the basement of a former Studebaker dealership since 1955. He had a spare flathead 6-cylinder engine, which he painted and dropped in place. He hasn't done a thing to the engine since then.
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The instrument panel of the '49 Land Cruiser features three big round gauges and a rear view mirror mounted atop the dashboard. The car originally was equipped with a radio, but when it was converted to 12-volt electrical, Ediger replaced it with the correct radio-delete panel.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Passenger accommodations are generous, thanks in part to the suicide-style rear doors.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The Land Cruiser interior is kept a bit cooler thanks to a set of accessory venetian blinds, built by a now defunct company in Wichita.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Both the front and rear of the Land Cruiser feature massive bumper over-riders. Note the chrome exhaust outlet with its vertical center fin.
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The Land Cruiser came equipped with gorgeous pointed center caps and ribbed trim rings. The reproduction Goodyear wide whitewall radials are nicely accented by factory red 15-inch wheels.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The 2R6 pickup is equipped with the same 245-cubic-inch flathead 6-cylinder engine as the Land Cruiser. Ediger added a split dual exhaust manifold and says the overdrive transmission and 3.73 rear gear make the truck a 70 mph highway cruiser.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A windshield visor painted to match the rich green finish of the rest of the truck adds not only a bit of style, but some practicality, too.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The rocket-style hood emblem is a mark of the top-of-the-line 2R6 pickup, borrowed from the 1947-49 Studebaker Champ car line.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The smooth lines of the '52 Studebaker pickup flow into pontoon-style rear fenders fitted with rubber gravel guards.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Another upscale touch borrowed from the car line is the pointed wheel cover and ribbed trim rings found on Ediger's pickup.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The pickup's plain vinyl interior has been upgraded with a set of paneled Lark seat covers salvaged from a car damaged in a shop fire.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The horizontal instrument cluster in the truck is augmented by a vintage tachometer that works with the pickup's 6-volt positive ground electrical system.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Power for the Hawk coupe is supplied by this 289-cubic-inch Studebaker V-8, which Ediger says is especially strong on torque.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The thin padded dash of the Hawk is downright sleek, with an engine-turned instrument panel filled with black-faced gauges. Note the 160 mph speedometer; Ediger says he knows the car will do 120 mph in second gear/overdrive.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Believe it or not, the beautiful red vinyl upholstery in the rear of the Hawk coupe is 51 years old; only the front seat cover and carpet have been replaced.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Thinline whitewalls match up nicely with the red rims and full wheels discs on the Hawk.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Fins were in back in 1960, but the Studebaker Hawk's were part of an overall styling theme, which included an accent panel below the deck lid.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The Hawk's distinctly European styling is as fresh today as it was back in the '50s and '60s.
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Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
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