Classy Bowler (Extended Play Prototype)

The Classy Bowler (Extended Play Prototype), designed by Wayne Neyens with art by Roy Parker for D. Gottlieb & Company in 1956, is a one-of-a-kind experimental variant of Gottlieb's standard 1956 'Classy Bowler.' Rather than awarding replays, this Add-A-Ball version awards extra balls - five at a time - through an added stepper unit and relay mounted in the lower cabinet that automatically resets the game after every five-ball play, up to a maximum of 130 balls tracked on a specially silkscreened 'Balls' window in place of the usual replay window.

Gameplay features two flippers, four pop bumpers, two slingshots, five standup targets, two gobble holes, and dual outlanes, accompanied by three bells and a knocker for sound. The backglass carries Gottlieb's well-known slogan, 'Amusement Pinballs, as American as Baseball and Hot Dogs!'

Only a single unit of this prototype is known to exist; its ownership can only be traced back to operation in a Wisconsin bar shortly before 1973. As a rare factory test game exploring an alternative to the standard replay system, the Classy Bowler Extended Play prototype offers a unique window into Gottlieb's mid-1950s experimentation with game mechanics.