Speed King

The 1936 Speed King, manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in November 1936, is a single-player electro-mechanical (EM) payout machine with a railroad and travel theme. As a payout machine, Speed King rewarded players directly rather than relying purely on score-based play, reflecting the coin-operated wagering games common in this era.

Predating the 1947 introduction of flippers, Speed King's gameplay would have relied on plunger skill and target/hole placement rather than active ball control - the ramps and flipper-guided shot-making associated with later pinball did not yet exist in 1936. Details of its specific gameplay mechanics are not well documented in the historical record.

The railroad and travel theme fits within Gottlieb's broader catalog of the period. Little is known about Speed King's designer or specific artwork, but as an early Gottlieb payout title, it offers a glimpse into the company's output during pinball's formative pre-flipper years.