Pasteurised sideways

Originally converted to tow a speedboat, Milky is a V8-powered, 1961 Morris milk float – a small (once) electric vehicle used for delivering milk to people’s houses in many European countries.

It now delivers full-fat power on some Falken tyres (a brand of Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan), demonstrating that the company produces tyres for almost any vehicle.

With a rising number of petrol cars switching to electric power, Milky shows that going from electric to petrol has its merits … Sporting Falken’s latest WildPeak and Linam van tyres, the milk float packs a creamy powertrain – with a 3,5-litre Rover engine mounted behind the driver.

It is believed that the conversion was undertaken by a wealthy enthusiast to tow a speedboat around London, with tales of it seen travelling at speed around the city. But, now, ahead of a summer season of car shows and events, Team Falken’s drift driver, Matt Carter, got behind the wheel to churn up the dust during a test at Banbury Plant Hire’s yard, in the United Kingdom (UK).

“Compared to my 600-plus hp (more than 445 kW) Nissan competition car, this was still more of a pig than a cow to drift,” says Carter, the former British Drift Champion. “With no seat belts or doors, it was a case of hanging on rather than hanging the tail out!”

But power is nothing without the right grip … “We increasingly claim that we offer a full range of tyres and patterns in the UK, from Minis to trucks and buses,” says Falken’s UK director, Matt Smith. “Now, we can even say that V8 milk floats are not a problem – just try us!”