Editing Milk float (section)

==Manufacturers==
There were many manufacturers of milk floats in Britain during the 20th century.

[[Brush Electrical Engineering Company]] had been established in 1889, and had manufactured electric cars between 1901 and 1905. In 1940, Brush required some small electric tractor units, but as none were commercially available, they asked AE Morrison and Sons to produce a design for one. Morrisons produced a 3-wheeled design, which Brush then used to manufacture a number of units for internal use. They then began selling them to customers, shipping a large order to Russia in 1941. They expanded to producing battery electric road vehicles in 1945,{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=13}} when they bought designs and manufacturing rights from Metrovick.<ref>{{cite book |title=Signage on Brush HYN 86 |publisher=The Transport Museum, Wythall}}</ref> The Metrovick designs were for 4-wheeled vehicles, but they also produced 3-wheeled vehicles, which were marketed as the Brush Pony.{{sfn |Georgano |1996 |p=25}} In early 1949, they reduced the prices of their electric vehicles by around 25 per cent, in an attempt to make them more competitive with petrol vehicles. All of their road vehicles were sold through the motor trade, in order to achieve a good standard of after-sales service.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/25th-february-1949/10/battery-electric-prices-cut-by-124 |title=Battery Electric Prices Cut by £124 |work=Commercial Motor |date=25 February 1949 |page=10}}</ref> Production of 4-wheeled battery electrics ceased in 1950, although the company continued to manufacture the 3-wheeled Brush Pony, and their range of industrial trucks.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/1st-december-1950/34/large-vauxhall-plant-extension |title=Spares for Brush 4-wheelers |work=Commercial Motor |date=1 December 1950 |page=34}}</ref> By 1969, Brush were owned by the Hawker Siddeley group, which also owned half of Morrison-Electricars, and manufacture of Brush electric vehicles moved to the newly established Morrison factory at Tredegar. Most were industrial trucks, but the transfer also included the Brush Pony, and a number were manufactured at Tredegar subsequently.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=41}}

Electricars began trading in Birmingham in 1919, and although they initially made heavy duty electric vehicles, suitable for payloads up to 6 tons, they soon diversified into smaller vehicles suitable for doorstep delivery. In 1936, they became part of the business group Associated Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Limited (AEVM), but during the [[Second World War]], few electric vehicles were built, due to a shortage of materials, and they ceased producing them in 1944.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |pp=14-15}}

[[Graiseley Electric Vehicles]] were produced in [[Wolverhampton]] by Diamond Motors Ltd, a company which previously had made motorcycles, and which bought the sidecar business from [[AJS]] when that company was liquidated in 1931. Included in the sale was the Graiseley marque, and this was used for a range of three-wheeled battery-electric pedestrian controlled milk trucks. They soon found that they could sell into other industries as well.<ref name=WHH>{{cite web |url=http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Transport/commercial/Diamond.htm |title=The Graiseley Electric |publisher=Wolverhampton History & Heritage |access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> In 1937 they produced a ride-on four wheeled vehicle, suitable for a payload of {{convert|8|-|10|Lcwt|kg|round=50|order=flip|abbr=off}}.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/8th-january-1937/30/a-new-battery-electric-vehicle |work=Commercial Motor |title=A new battery-electric vehicle |date=8 January 1937 |page=30}}</ref> Nevertheless, it was for their pedestrian controlled vehicles that they were best known, and their range included the Model 60, the Model 75, and the Model 90. Because the primary focus was on the dairy industry, the model numbers represented the number of imperial gallons of milk that could be carried. Between 1948 and 1952, the company sold a large number of Graiseley PCVs to United Dairies,<ref name=XMP457>{{cite book |title=Signage on XMP 457 |publisher=Transport Museum, Wythall}}</ref> and gradually diversified into stillage trucks and pallet trucks for use in factories.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/4th-june-1954/51/more-uses-for-handling-appliances |work=Commercial Motor |title=More uses for handling appliances |date=4 June 1954 |page=51}}</ref> The company was [[Liquidation|liquidated]] in 1960,<ref name=WHH/> but the Graiseley marque was used by Lister Graiseley in 1969<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/23rd-may-1969/54/mate-handling-exhibition |work=Commercial Motor |title=Materials Handling Exhibition |date=23 May 1969 |page=54}}</ref> and by Gough Industrial Trucks Ltd of [[Hanley, Staffordshire|Hanley]], [[Stoke-on-Trent]] in 1971.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/9th-july-1971/58/british-electric-vehicles-model-by-model |work=Commercial Motor |title=British electric vehicles model by model |date=9 July 1971 |page=58}}</ref>

[[Harbilt Electric Trucks|Harbilt]] electric vehicles were initially produced by the Market Harborough Construction Company, which was formed in 1935 as a manufacturer of aircraft components. After the end of the Second World War, they diversified, and electric vehicles were a part of their new product range.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=5}} The first vehicle produced was the 551 pedestrian controlled vehicle, which they supplied with a charger made by Partridge Wilson of Leicester, who were making their own range of Wilson battery vehicles.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |pp=9-10}} As well as milk delivery, the chassis was popular in Switzerland, with some 2000 vehicles supplied to the Swiss Post Office and to Swiss hotels.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=14}} From 1956, they introduced ride-on vehicles, beginning with the model 735, and expanded the range considerably over the next few years.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=20}} At some point in the early 1970s, prior to 1974, Harbilt and Morrison-Electricars reached an agreement for a product exchange and rationalisation. All milk floats would be built by Morrisons at their Tredegar works, while Morrison trucks would be handed over to Harbilt.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=44}} The electric vehicle facility was taken over by a management buyout in 1975, and registered as Harbilt Electric Trucks. It continued to make trucks for a variety of industries, until it was bought for almost twice its share value by Fred W Davies, a Canadian who owned the Davies Magnet Group and York Trailers, in 1987. Production moved to Corby, but the venture was short-lived, and it was sold again to M&M Electric Vehicles of Atherstone in 1989.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=48}}

[[Lewis Electruk]]s were built by TH Lewis Ltd of Watford, a company closely associated with London's Express Dairy Company. Lewis began building milk floats, milk carts and horse-drawn vehicles for Express Dairies in 1873, and the business became a limited company in 1899. It was taken over by Express in 1931, as part of a reorganisation of their business. TH Lewis designed two types of electric vehicle for Express, the first of which entered service in 1934.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/1st-march-1963/57/v-time-seven-days-a-week |title=V Time, Seven Days a Week |work=Commercial Motor |first=AJP |last=Wilding |date=1 March 1963 |pages=56–58}}</ref> This was a 3-wheeled pedestrian controlled vehicle with a {{convert|3+1/2|-Lcwt|kg|order=flip|adj=on}} payload.{{sfn |Georgano |1996 |p=21}} They were one of the first companies to provide storage for dry goods on their vehicles, and demonstrated a type AER 4-wheeled float with a grocery box behind the cab at the 1955 Dairy Show.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/28th-october-1955/45/groceries-in-new-milk-floats |title=Groceries in New Milk Floats |work=Commercial Motor |date=28 October 1955 |page=45 }}</ref> Their exhibits at the 1958 Dairy Show included a standard {{cvt|25|-Lcwt|kg|order=flip}} milk float with a walk-through cab and a vertical steering wheel.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/24th-october-1958/60/battery-electrics-unchallenged |title=Battery Electrics Unchallenged |work=Commercial Motor |date=24 October 1958 |page=60 }}</ref> The company was acquired by Austin Crompton Parkinson, makers of Morrison Electricar floats, in 1961, and Morrisons continued to make two of their models, the Electruk Rider, which became the model E15, and a pedestrian controlled vehicle, which became the model DPC3.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=31}} Both Express Dairies and the London Co-operative Society had large fleets of the Electruk Rider, and continued to add to them with purchases of the E15.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=32}}

[[Metrovick electric vehicles]] were made by the [[Metropolitan-Vickers]] Electrical Company between the 1930s and 1945. In 1939, the Metrovick range consisted of a {{cvt|7-9|-Lcwt|kg|round=50|order=flip}} model, a {{cvt|10-14|-Lcwt|kg|round=50|order=flip}} model and a {{cvt|18-22|-Lcwt|kg|round=50|order=flip}} model.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/21st-april-1939/88/london-stages-electric-vehicle-display |title=London Stages Electric Vehicle Display |work=Commercial Motor |date=21 April 1939 |page=88 }}</ref> By 1943, a {{cvt|25-30|-Lcwt|kg|order=flip}} model had been added to the range.{{sfn |Hills |1943 |p=44}} A more modern design of cab had been introduced in 1939, and as the Second World War ended, Metrovick ceased to make battery electric road vehicles, selling its designs and manufacturing rights to Brush. Consequently, early Brush designs are virtually indistinguishable from later Metrovick designs.<ref>{{cite book |title=Signage on Metrovick FWB 784 |publisher=The Transport Museum, Wythall}}</ref>

[[Midland Electric Vehicles|Midland Electric]] milk floats were produced by Midland Vehicles Ltd of Leamington Spa. Their first design was a {{cvt|10-15|-Lcwt|kg|round=50|order=flip}} chassis, which was launched in January 1937. It was designed by J Parker Garner, who at the time was a well-known designer, having been involved in the manufacturing of vehicles for a number of years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/22nd-january-1937/32/new-battery-electric-announced |title=New Battery Electric Announced |work=Commercial Motor |date=22 January 1937 |page=32 }}</ref> In early 1938, Midland added a model B20 to their range, which was designed for a {{cvt|20|-Lcwt|kg|order=flip}} payload, but was otherwise very similar to the earlier model. It was showcased at the British Industries Fair, held at Castle Bromwich in February.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/25th-february-1938/62/new-midland-electric-1-tonner-at-the-bif |title=New Midland Electric 1-Tonner At The BIF |work=Commercial Motor |date=25 February 1938 |page=32 }}</ref> By 1943, Midland Electric were producing five models, which could be fitted with various types of bodywork, including a flat-bed truck for coal deliveries.{{sfn |Hills |1943 |pp=43-44}} They produced a new {{cvt|10|-Lcwt|kg|round=50|order=flip}} lightweight design in 1949, which featured an all-welded chassis with an integral body frame.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/18th-november-1949/40/a-new-10-cwt |title=A New 10-cwt Battery-electric |work=Commercial Motor |date=18 November 1949 |page=40 }}</ref> The company was listed in a 1956 directory of electric vehicle manufacturers published in Commercial Motor,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/1st-june-1956/113/directory-of-vehicle-manufacturers |work=Commercial Motor |date=1 June 1956 |title=Directory of Vehicle Manufacturers |page=113 }}</ref> but the company closed in 1957.<ref>{{cite book |publisher=Transport Museum Wythall |title=Signage on Midland Electric SJW 599 }}</ref>

[[Morrison-Electricar]]s had their origins in the 1890s in Leicester, when AE Morrison began producing bicycles, motorcycles and stationary engines. The company became AE Morrison and Sons in 1929, and produced their first battery electric vehicle in 1933.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |pp=7-9}} They moved to larger premises in 1935, and all other products were phased out.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |pp=10-12}} They were another major player in AEVM, and Electricars and Morrisons rationalised their product range, with Morrisons concentrating on the smaller vehicles suitable for milk delivery.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=14}} The vehicles were marketed as [[Morrison-Electricar]]s from mid-1942, and were so known despite a series of takeovers.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=16}} The [[Austin Motor Company]] bought a 50 percent share in AEVM in 1948, and the company became Austin Crompton Parkinson Electric Vehicles Ltd. Austin merged into the [[British Motor Corporation]] in 1952, which in turn merged with [[Leyland Motors]] in 1969, to become [[British Leyland]]. The electric vehicle business became Crompton Leyland Electricars Ltd. In 1972, British Leyland sold their share of the business to [[Hawker Siddeley]], better known for aircraft manufacture, and the company became Crompton Electricars Ltd.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=48}} The [[Board of Trade]] refused to allow Morrisons to move to new premises in Leicester, because of a lack of skilled labour in the area, and instead offered to build them a new factory in a development area, so the manufacturing base moved to [[Tredegar]], south Wales, in 1968.{{sfn |Roberts |2010 |p=39}} Morrison-Electricars ceased to be made in 1983, when Hawker Siddeley sold the business to M & M Electric Vehicles of Atherstone, Warwickshire, who subsequently adopted the Electricars name for their own vehicles.{{sfn |Hakewill |2011 |p=48}}

[[Victor Electrics]] was formed in 1923 when Outram's Bakery in [[Southport]], Merseyside, wanted to buy some electric vehicles to replace horses and carts on local deliveries, but found that both home-produced and imported vehicles were considerably more expensive than they were prepared to pay. They started manufacturing their own electric bread vans, which looked like conventional vans, with the batteries mounted under a bonnet at the front. They were soon making three models of bonneted van,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/1st-february-1927/46/an-electric-designed-by-a-baker |title=An Electric Designed by a Baker |work=Commercial Motor |date=1 February 1927 |page=46 }}</ref> but in 1931, produced a forward control vehicle with a walk-through cab for the dairy industry.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/13th-january-1931/53/door-to-door-delivery-by-electric-van |title=Door to Door Delivery by Electric Van |work=Commercial Motor |date=13 January 1931 |page=53 }}</ref> By 1935, they had a range of forward control vehicles in production, and ceased to make bonneted vans.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/9th-november-1934/72/victor-electrics-for-1935 |title=Victor Electrics for 1935 |work=Commercial Motor |date=9 November 1934 |page=72 }}</ref> In 1967, the company was acquired by Brook Motors, and became part of Brook Victor Electric Vehicles. This company was itself acquired by Hawker Siddeley in 1970, and in 1973 it became Brook Crompton Parkinson Motors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brook_Motors |title=Brook Motors |publisher=Grace's Guide to British Industrial History |access-date=9 July 2016}}</ref>

[[Wales & Edwards]] was the name of a garage and car salesroom for [[Morris Motors|Morris]] and [[Wolseley Motors|Wolseley]] cars, based in [[Shrewsbury]]. Mervyn Morris designed an electric vehicle, and the first milk float was sold to Roddington Dairy in early 1951.<ref name=MIS>{{cite web |url=http://www.madeinshrewsbury.co.uk/companies/wales_and_edward |title=Wales & Edwards Engineers |publisher=Made In Shrewsbury |access-date=27 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822191150/http://www.madeinshrewsbury.co.uk/companies/wales_and_edward |archive-date=22 August 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> A request from United Dairies saw the production of a 3-wheeled chain driven vehicle, which was an immediate success. An order for 1,500 vehicles followed,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wythall.org.uk/vehicles/vxmt422.asp |title=United Dairies XMT 422 |publisher=Transport Museum Wythall |access-date=27 June 2016}}</ref> and a new manufacturing base was set up in [[Harlescott]], a suburb to the north of Shrewsbury.<ref name=MIS/> Larger models followed, although the 3-wheeled design was retained for most of their subsequent output. Four-wheeled vehicles were introduced in 1966 for payloads which exceeded {{convert|1+1/2|LT|kg|order=flip|sigfig=2}},<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/28th-october-1966/24/more-new-battery-electrics |title=More new battery electrics |work=Commercial Motor |page=24 |date=28 October 1966 |access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref> although they made eighteen 5-wheeled articulated milk floats from 1961, which could carry {{convert|2|LT|kg|sigfig=1|order=flip}}.{{sfn |Georgano |1996 |p=25}} The company was acquired by [[Smith Electric Vehicles]] in 1989.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/they-dont-make-milk-floats-the-way-they-used-to-1587039.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104246/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/they-dont-make-milk-floats-the-way-they-used-to-1587039.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live |title=They don't make milk floats the way they used to|date=17 June 1995|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref>

Wilson Electrics were made by [[Partridge Wilson Engineering]], who were manufacturers of charging equipment for accumulators, and were based in [[Leicester]]. In 1934 they produced their first electric van, suitable for a payload of {{cvt|5-6|-Lcwt|kg|order=flip}},<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/4th-may-1934/52/a-new-small-battery-electric-vehicle |title=A New Small Battery Electric Vehicle |work=Commercial Motor |date=4 May 1934 |page=52}}</ref> and went on to produce several larger models, including a {{cvt|20-25|-Lcwt|kg|order=flip}} version.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/30th-august-1935/29/a-new-and-larger-wilson-electric |title=A New and Larger Wilson Electric |work=Commercial Motor |date=30 August 1935 |page=29}}</ref> In 1939 they were offering special deals for fleets of six vehicles, which were charged using a Davenset 3-phase group charger.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/21st-april-1939/88/london-stages-electric-vehicle-display |title=London Stages Electric Vehicle Display |work=Commercial Motor |date=21 April 1939 |page=88}}</ref> Wilson Electric vehicles ceased to be produced in 1954, although the company continued to trade in Leicester until 1986.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/6adecc2c-3558-4d9e-8026-242a8b52f13b |title=Records of Partridge Wilson Engineering Company, Leicester |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=10 July 2016}}</ref>
 
Other manufacturers included [[Smith Electric Vehicles|Smith's]], [[Osborne Motor Bodies|Osborne]], and [[Bedford Vehicles|Bedford]]. In 1941, Morrison-Electricar standardised three types of body which would become the basis for thousands of milk floats built after the war to deliver goods to the recovering population.<ref name="History of the Milk Float">{{cite web|url=http://www.theoldmilkfloat.co.uk/#!history|title=History of Milk Floats|access-date=23 April 2012}}</ref> By 2003, there were still a number of companies offering doorstep deliveries, but no companies supplying new vehicles. [[Bluebird Automotive]] attempted to fill the gap, but only succeeded in supplying two vehicles to Golden Vale Dairies in [[Bridgend]] and one to Express Dairies, which was trialled in Northampton, before becoming insolvent in 2007.{{sfn |Reynolds |2007 |p=5}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.milkfloats.org.uk/modern.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007184409/http://www.milkfloats.org.uk/modern.html |archive-date=7 October 2018 |title=New Milk Float Designs |publisher=Milk Float Corner |access-date=17 July 2021}}</ref>