Matchbox 7a; Horse-Drawn Milk Float

Were horse-drawn milk floats still a common sight on the streets of Britain in 1954 when this model was released? What about 1961 when it was deleted? It must have seemed like an antique for its whole production run.

The milk float was always orange with a brown horse during its main production run. The crates, the milkman and the lettering on the sides are usually picked out in white with a very few in silver. Wheels can be metal or grey plastic. There is also a casting variation which has the crates nearer the back of the van on some models, this does not however affect the value. Best price models have the silver crates and these are significantly more highly valued than any other version. Grey plastic wheels will get a small premium over metal wheels, however I never find them which is why I'm showing a broken toy below which I found in 2011 - the last time I saw one with grey plastic wheels.

I've found two examples with the horse collar picked out in gold rather than brown, but this does not appear to be mentioned in the guides.