PASTEURISED SIDEWAYS – FALKEN’S DRIFT TEAM GETS TO GRIP WITH A QUICKER WAY TO DELIVER THE DAIRY GOODS
Originally converted to tow a speedboat, Milky, a V8-powered milkfloat now delivers creamy full fat power on Falken tyre, demonstrating tyre maker has tyres for almost any vehicle
With a rising number of petrol cars switching to electric power, a 1961 Morris milkfloat shows that going from electric to petrol has its merits. Sporting Falken’s latest WildPeak’s and Linam van tyres, Mel Smith’s milkfloat packs a full fat powertrain with a 3.5litre Rover engine mounted behind the driver. 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 at a test at Banbury Plant Hire’s yard.
“Compared to my 600+bhp Nissan competition car, this was still more of a pig than a cow to drift,” says the former British Drift Champion Matt Carter. “With no seat belts or doors, it was a case of hanging on rather than hanging the tail out!”
Whilst much of the history of ‘Milky’ is not known to Oxfordshire-based Mel Smith, 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 Capital.
Now the Japanese manufacturer is able to supply the unusual profile tyres from its expanding range that covers a huge range of vehicles, Smith has opted for Falken’s WildPeak off-road and Linam van tyres. “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 milkfloats are not a problem – just try us!”
About FALKEN Tyre Europe:
The technology and development of Falken High Performance Tyres and their driving characteristics have for many years been derived from motorsport, most recently its participation in the American Le Mans Series and Nürburgring 24 Hours. Tyre technologies developed on track are often transferred to the road, offering improvements in wet and dry grip, efficiency, feeling and control.
Falken Tyre Europe is a brand of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Japan, with European headquarters near Frankfurt. Falken has aggressively expanded its product range, launching new products in new sectors and niches across Europe. Falken’s current products range from the track-inspired Azenis series including the latest FK453 flagship through to the efficient and innovative ZE914 and the rugged all-terrain WildPeak A/T and cold weather HS449.
