• A sketch drawing of the DC01

    Cyclone sketch

    The cyclonic system in DC01, showing the shroud to trap hairs, the entry into the cyclone and the spiral of centrifugal force in the interior with the exit at the top.

  • James Dyson pictured with two DC01s

    DC01

    Photographed with DC01s in 1993.

  • A print advert for DC01, showing rows and rows of vacuum bags

    Ad campaign

    A powerful early advertisement campaign for DC01 – saying 'goodbye' to the bag in multiple languages. A few years ago, when I presented at Speech day for my old school, Gresham's, I challenged the pupils to guess what the 'AMF' in the ad referred to win a DC01. Later that afternoon a boy came up to me saying he had the answer – 'Adios mother f*cker'! He was right of course and I gave him a vacuum as promised. I was moved to hear that the boy's mother had died just days before and that he used his new vacuum cleaner to keep his mother's grave clean in the chapel where she was buried.

  • Side view of the Diesel Trap

    Diesel Trap

    One of the many ways we applied cyclone technology was with the Diesel Trap. I was never convinced diesel was in any way 'clean', despite government saying otherwise. By trapping diesel in the exhaust of a vehicle, you could prevent harmful particles from polluting streets and pavements. I demonstrated this in 1993 on the UK's Blue Peter show. I drove around Shepherd's Bush and showed presenter Anthea Turner the dirt that had been collected.

  • DC01 and a competitor model of vacuum machine

    DC01

    Early promotional photo of a DC01 against a competitor with a cloth bag.

  • DCO1 production line showing Dyson machines and the packaging

    Production line

    Our first production line for DC01, at Bumpers Farm in Chippenham, 1993.

  • DC01 and tiny bits of paper on the floor

    DC01 TV Advert

    Our first TV ad. Miele objected to it, claiming we wouldn't be able to pick up the bits of paper in reality. Total nonsense of course.

  • Line drawings showing the workings of DC01

    DC01 illustration

    A breakdown of the workings of DC01.

View all chapters
Next chapter