In fact over a period of five years Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of his vacuum, including this early version pictured, made from cardboard. His former employer Rotork funded the first production of the Rotork Cyclon 1000A. Dyson initially licensed it to an American appliance company, but it proved too expensive for the mass market, retailing at around $1,300. A revised version, however, did have some success in Japan.