Yukon (Special)

The Yukon (Special) is a 1971 electro-mechanical pinball machine from Williams Electronics, designed by Norm Clark with artwork by Christian Marche. It is an Add-A-Ball variant of Williams' standard 1971 'Yukon,' built specifically for distribution in New York State (where pinball itself was still banned in New York City until 1976) and for export to Italy.

The game features two flippers, four pop bumpers, two kick-out holes, and a distinctive three-reel drum unit on the playfield. For the Italian export version, the symbols on the three reels were changed to numerals, since slot-machine imagery was prohibited there at the time. While the backglass simply reads "Yukon," Williams' own documentation refers to this variant extensively as "Yukon Special" or "Yukon (Special)."

Approximately 700 units were produced in total -- 200 for the US/Canada market and 500 for export -- at a distributor price of $440. Carrying a Canadian West theme, the Yukon (Special) stands as an interesting example of a regionally tailored Williams release from the early 1970s.