All American Derby
About This Machine
The All American Derby, produced by Illinois Novelty Co. of Chicago in November 1943, is a one-ball electro-mechanical (EM) conversion of the free-play versions of Bally's 1940 games 'Sport Special' and 'Sport Event.' It's the only game known from this manufacturer, making it a rare and obscure piece of pinball history.
As a wartime-era conversion of an earlier one-ball Bally design, the All American Derby would not have featured flippers — which weren't introduced to pinball until 1947 — but instead relied on the skill-shot and odds-based mechanics typical of one-ball games from that period, where players aimed to land the ball in scoring pockets.
Beyond its manufacturer and production date, little else is documented about the All American Derby's design, art, or gameplay specifics. Its status as an obscure wartime conversion by a manufacturer that produced no other known games makes it a curious footnote in pinball history for collectors and researchers.