Speedway

Speedway, manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in October 1933, was advertised at the time as a 'mechanical marvel' that used no electricity at all -- a selling point in an era when electrified games were beginning to appear. This particular release is a longer version of Gottlieb's earlier 1933 'Speedway', extending the playfield to allow cars to advance five laps instead of three, and adding chromium-plated ball rails to the upper playfield.

At the heart of Speedway lies its captivating gameplay, where players can compete with five, seven, or ten balls, depending on the location, for just one cent or five cents. The playfield animation is a standout feature, as each ball landing in any pocket advances the corresponding car up to five laps. Furthermore, a ball entering the Skill Hole propels all cars forward, adding an exciting element of strategy and luck to the game.

Speedway's sports-themed design, centered around auto racing, features artwork that was undoubtedly eye-catching in its time. Unfortunately, due to the rarity and age of this machine, little is known about its original advertising or promotional materials. Nonetheless, Speedway remains an important piece of pinball history, a testament to the ingenuity that manufacturers applied even to purely mechanical games in the years before electromechanical pinball came to dominate the industry.