Struggle Buggies

Struggle Buggies, designed by Harry Mabs and manufactured by Williams in November 1953, is an electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine built around an auto racing theme, with artwork by George Molentin. By this point flippers had already become a standard pinball feature, and Struggle Buggies uses two of them alongside pop bumpers, passive bumpers, slingshots, and kick-out holes to create an engaging single-player game.

One notable design detail is the machine's four dummy zero score reel segments, which allow the maximum displayed point score to reach an impressive 9,990,000 points -- a scoring trick common to EM machines of the era meant to make scores look more dramatic.

Struggle Buggies' auto racing theme and artwork are a nostalgic nod to the sport's early days. For collectors and enthusiasts, this machine is a solid example of Harry Mabs' mid-1950s work for Williams Manufacturing Company.