This 1964 Dalek Toy Would’ve Sold For £8 – & It’s Now Worth Over $6,000

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Believe it or not, a Doctor Who Dalek toy that originally cost just £8 in 1964 is now valued at over $6,000! The popularity of Doctor Who sparked a huge craze for Daleks – a phenomenon known as Dalekmania. These iconic, menacing robots were at the height of their popularity in the 1960s, inspiring kids to shout “Exterminate!” while playing. Actor Peter Cushing portrayed the Doctor in two films based on Dalek adventures, and a cereal competition even allowed children to win their own Dalek props, some of which are now worth over $70,000.

Perhaps the strangest collectible is the Dalek made by Scorpion Automotives. It’s not a Dalek with a scorpion tail, or even a car shaped like one! Instead, it’s a retro playsuit costume from a company called Scorpion Automotives that unfortunately didn’t last long. Heritage Auctions says the costume includes:

  • a rubber skirt section with blue and silver color scheme
  • a plastic mid-section with movable Dalek plunger and blaster and two rubber shoulder straps for wearing (and a Scorpion Automotives sticker on the back)
  • removable top section with blue plastic dome above wire mesh for the wearer to see through, the dome with movable eyestal

Originally, these cost about £8 each, which was a significant amount of money at the time. Considering inflation, that’s equivalent to over £144 or $190 today. The high price likely contributed to limited sales initially, but it’s made them much more sought-after over the years. For example, a Scorpion Automotives Dalek recently sold for $6,875 in 2025.

Why is the Scorpion Automotives Dalek So Valuable?

The Scorpion Automotives Dalek is also incredibly valuable because the accompanying playsuits are exceptionally rare. Collector Simon Danes described it in 2021 as the ultimate prize for Doctor Who merchandise collectors. He estimated that only around 20 might still exist worldwide, comparing its rarity to unbelievably unlikely events – like seeing Lord Lucan on a famous racehorse, hearing an honest statement from Donald Trump, or finding a lost episode of The Tenth Planet. Essentially, it’s an extremely hard-to-find item.

When it comes to collectibles, limited availability almost always increases their worth, and the Scorpion Dalek is the most scarce of them all. “Dalekmania” really took off in late 1964, reaching its peak in early 1965. Scorpion Automotives only managed to ship out a small number of these Daleks before a fire destroyed their factory in Northampton in April 1965, wiping out their entire stock. This meant Scorpion couldn’t fully capitalize on the craze, and very few suits were ever sold. What makes these Daleks even more valuable is that very few still have the original TARDIS-style box they came in – a feature that significantly increased the worth of a collectible auctioned by Heritage Auctions in 2025. All of these factors combine to make the Scorpion Dalek one of the most prized pieces of Doctor Who memorabilia ever created.

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2026-05-19 21:13