Grosse Pointe
About This Machine
The Grosse Pointe pinball machine is an extremely rare custom re-theme, with only a single confirmed unit ever produced. Built on the hardware of Williams' 1988 'Swords of Fury,' it was created for an American television show that ran for one season in 2000-2001, and features custom sound effects made specifically for that production.
Because it's based on 'Swords of Fury,' Grosse Pointe's underlying playfield layout and solid-state electronics reflect that late-1980s Williams design, dressed up with new theming and custom audio for its TV tie-in. Its status as a one-off promotional piece, rather than a production model, makes it exceptionally scarce.
Grosse Pointe is a fascinating example of pinball's occasional use in television and media promotion — a single, purpose-built machine whose Swords of Fury roots and TV-show origin give collectors a documented (if narrow) history, even though further specifics about the exact show and conversion team remain hard to pin down.