Brillant Torero

Brillant Torero ("Brilliant Bullfighter"), manufactured by T.H. Bergmann & Company of Hamburg, Germany in 1938, is a flipperless electro-mechanical (EM) machine with a distinctive bullfighting theme. It was produced during a period when German manufacturers like Bergmann (active 1938-1968) were carving out their own niche in the European pinball market, alongside established American manufacturers who had already been producing pinball machines for over a decade.

The game features an impressive 21 spring bumpers along with two gobble holes, a dense arrangement that would have added considerable challenge and excitement for a single-player, flipperless design. These features highlight the manufacturer's focus on creating an engaging experience using purely electro-mechanical scoring elements, without the flipper mechanisms that would later come to define the game.

The bullfighting theme is a distinctive departure from the sports or general entertainment themes found on many other vintage machines, reflecting its Spanish-language title and likely European sensibilities. Unfortunately, the designer remains unknown, but the machine's unusual theme makes it an interesting discovery for collectors of pre-war European pinball.