Champion Whiffle

The Champion Whiffle, manufactured by Automatic Industries, Incorporated of Youngstown, Ohio in 1931, holds a place in the early days of American pinball history. It comes from the very first year of the coin-operated pinball boom, which began in 1931 with the release of Gottlieb's 'Baffle Ball' - itself a flipperless, purely mechanical game, as flippers would not be invented until 1947.

Gameplay on the Champion Whiffle would have relied on purely mechanical principles - plungers, pins, and gravity guiding the ball through the playfield - rather than any flipper or electronic component, consistent with its classification as a Pure Mechanical (PM) machine. This single-player game showcases the ingenuity of pinball's pioneers in the earliest days of the format.

Unfortunately, little information exists about the designer or any notable aspects of the machine's design or theme. Its art and graphics are likely to be understated, given the era's aesthetic standards. Nonetheless, as one of the earliest surviving mechanical pinball machines from the United States, the Champion Whiffle remains a fascinating piece of history for collectors and enthusiasts to appreciate.