[REVIEW] Lesney Matchbox Horse Drawn Milk Float

Lesney Matchbox time again, and time again for something different. Today we take a look at what many consider to be one of the more classic Regular Wheels castings. This is Lesney Matchbox 7a, the horse drawn milk float. This is an early casting, which entered the range in 1954, and enjoyed a long run, remaining until 1961. This popular model is out of the ordinary:

It’s not hard to see what makes this different - it is a horse drawn vehicle. This is the only horse drawn Regular Wheels model (there were a couple Yesteryears with horses, too). I thought it was unusual for such an antique style vehicle to have been in a range with modern vehicles, but maybe people had fond memories, or maybe such old fashioned vehicles weren’t unknown in somewhat dreary battered rationed early postwar England. Scale isn’t the easiest to estimate as I am not certain about the size of the actual vehicle, but I suspect this is somewhat small, maybe around 1:75. The cast-in lettering is a nice touch, and the metal wheels are relatively accurate, only used on this model. Late run models would wear normal grey plastic wheels. There’s plenty of old fashioned detail from all angles, this is a casting that has charmed people for years:

Front and rear have similar quality, the horse being at a slight angle due to a casting quirk might give the impression of motion:

The base is pretty basic, as usual for 1954:

This fresh example is lucky enough to live in a pristine original type B box, which complements the condition of the model. With this exact box type, I suspect this was produced around 1957:

This is definitely one I am glad to have in my collection (I have another, from the same source), as it is a well-known model, being what many associate with early Lesney Matchbox, even re-issued with the “Matchbox Originals” series in the early 90s. Not hard to find today, and while not cheap, not insanely expensive:

And a 1:1 from the Nick Jones Matchbox page: