Old Hilltop

The Old Hilltop pinball machine, manufactured by General Vending Sales Corporation in 1951, is a distributor conversion of Universal Industries' 1950 game 'Winner.' It reuses the same playfield artwork depicting a horse-racing track (labeled 'Universal Park'), with a new backglass and cabinet identity, despite contemporary industry ads describing it as built from all-new parts.

The gameplay on Old Hilltop is straightforward yet challenging, with a single player aiming to score points by navigating one ball through the machine for five cents per play. Notable features include four passive bumpers and 31 trap holes, which add an element of unpredictability to the game. The machine's layout is typical of its era, with a focus on basic, intuitive gameplay.

The Old Hilltop's design and art are characteristic of 1950s pinball machines, featuring a vintage aesthetic that has become increasingly collectible among enthusiasts. While details about its designer remain unknown, its history as a wartime-quota-era conversion of an earlier game adds an interesting layer to its story, making it an intriguing piece of pinball history for collectors and historians alike.