1971 · Bally
Expressway
Known for Spot Letter, Advance Mileage, Right saucer and Center post. Flat green field beneath a blue sky, stylised city skyline of blue, red, black and white rectangular towers, white-and-red domed building, blue highway with white directional arrows, rainbow concentric archway forming a tunnel and swirling field of tiny coloured rectangles and small cars.
- Year
- 1971
- Maker
- Bally
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 1
Known for
- Target
Spot Letter
- Bumper
Advance Mileage
- saucer
Right saucer
- post
Center post
- Goal
Mileage Score
- Goal
Expressway
On the playfield
Holes 2
- Top saucer saucer
- Right saucer saucer
Bumpers 4
- EXP bumpers
- WAY bumpers
- Advance Mileage
- Red mushroom bumper
Targets 3
- R-E targets
- S-S targets
- Spot Letter
Lanes 3
- Upper left side lane
- Upper right side lane
- Out lanes
Post or gate 1
- Center post post
Control 1
- Down Post rollovers buttons
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Top centre, red-haired, magenta long-sleeve shirt, falling or diving head-first with both arms outstretched, drawn small against the blue sky
- man Giant close-up head filling the right third, fair skin, swept-back yellow-orange hair, heavy-lidded eyes, green shirt with collar, red tie, holding a pink-and-black cone-shaped object near his mouth
- woman Lower centre-right, running in a pink dress or top with green trousers and a pink headscarf, beside a red car
- man Lower right, small figure in a dark suit and hat near the yellow car, facing left
- other Small figure in a yellow cap sitting in the green car's open window
- vehicle Stream of flat pop-art saloons on the highway - green, yellow, teal, blue and a large red car in the lower centre
Setting
- Flat green field beneath a blue sky
- Stylised city skyline of blue, red, black and white rectangular towers
- White-and-red domed building
- Blue highway with white directional arrows
- Rainbow concentric archway forming a tunnel
- Swirling field of tiny coloured rectangles and small cars
Text on it
- EXIT
- 50
- 35 M.P.H.
- GAME OVER
- Bally
- EXCELLENT BALL
- EXPRESSWAY
- BALL IN PLAY
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 0
How it plays
-
Goals 2
- Mileage Score
- Expressway
Made by
- Design
- Ted Zale
- Art
- Christian Marche
Reference
Linked terms
- Down Post rollovers also called Down Post also called Either Down Post
- Mileage Score also called Mileage Bonus
- Expressway also called Spelling Express
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- yellow
- cream
- orange
- black
Fingerprint: Two triangular cartoon-art inserts in upper corners: dark-haired woman in green dress holding folding fan, cluster of grinning people in pink and blue. Four big white mushroom-capped bumpers reading POINTS 100 WHEN LIT dominating top arc. Card-grid wheels numbered 30-40-50 printed both side edges. Mustard-yellow background, concentric arc spans.
Two triangular cartoon-art inserts in the upper corners, one with a black-haired woman in a green dress holding a folding fan and laughing, the other a cluster of grinning people in pink and blue. Four big white mushroom-capped bumpers lettered POINTS 100 WHEN LIT dominate the top arc. Both side edges are printed with card-grid wheels numbered 30, 40 and 50, and the centre score reels spell MALAGA SCORE. The apron is bright yellow with a red script logo, MANUFACTURING CORP. and CHICAGO ILLINOIS 60618 beneath it.
Setting
- Flat mustard-yellow playfield with concentric cream and pale-blue rings
- Painted cartoon portrait inserts in the upper corners
- Card-wheel grid panels down both side edges
Symbols
- Playing-card suit pips
- Numbered card-wheel grids (30, 40, 50)
- Green numbered arrows
- Concentric rings
- Printed spinner swirl
- Arrowheads
Notable shapes
- Big cream-and-blue concentric arc across the upper third
- Two triangular painted art inserts in the top corners
- Card-grid wheels printed down both side edges
- Four mushroom-capped bumpers in a row
- Low-profile orange apron flaps at the sides
Art motifs
- Large concentric arc rings
- Radial burst rays behind the bumper cluster
- Cartoon comedy portrait inserts
- Vintage airbrushed orange shading
Themes
- Bowling
- Playing cards
- Score reels
- Letters and numbers
Text on it
- 100
- POINTS 100 WHEN LIT
- UP POST 1000
- UP POST
- 1000
- 10
- 30
- 40
- 50
- SPOT LETTER
- MELEE SCORE WHEN LIT
- ADVANCE MELEE SCORE
- NEXT EXTR
- MALAGA SCORE
- BOWL LETTER
- SKILL SCORE
- 100 & ADVANCE MELEE SCORE
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- TILT
- TILT ENDS GAME
- PASCHMAN'S TILT ENDS GAME
- 1 Replay for each score of 61,000 Points
- 1 Replay for each score of 55,800 Points
- 1 Replay for each score of 50,300 Points
- 1 Replay for each score of 44,000 Points
- Insert coin and POST for machine to reset.
- Ball advances to next highest letter, bumper or target.
- Completing 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 collects 2 letters when lit.
- Special when lit scores 3 Replays.
- MANUFACTURING CORP.
- CHICAGO ILLINOIS 60618
- PATENT NOTICE ON CABINET BACK
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Upper-left triangular insert: black-haired woman in a green dress, mouth open laughing, holding an open folding fan |
| Other | Upper-right triangular insert: cluster of three or four grinning cartoon people in pink and blue clothing, one with a hand raised |
| Man | Lower-right triangular insert: man in a pink shirt, seen in profile, facing left |
| Man | Lower-left triangular insert: seated man in a blue shirt at a table, small and partly worn |
Vertically shot 1960s electro-mechanical playfield on a strong mustard-yellow background with a large cream and pale-blue concentric arc across the upper third. A curved black plastic lane guide sweeps across the top, flanked by two triangular painted cartoon panels showing laughing people (left: a dark-haired woman in green holding a fan; right: a cluster of figures in pink and blue). Four large white round bumpers read POINTS 100 WHEN LIT around their skirts, with green rubber and orange plastic posts between them, and UP POST 1000 printed beside a round lane opening. The left and right edges carry printed card-wheel grids marked 30, 40 and 50, and a fan of four green arrows numbered 10. The centre carries MALAGA SCORE, BOWL LETTER and SKILL SCORE reel windows, SPOT LETTER, MELEE SCORE WHEN LIT and NEXT EXTR legends, a spinner in a printed swirl, drop-target banks and two red flippers. Dominant colours: mustard yellow, cream, orange, pale blue, red and black.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- yellow
- magenta
- blue
- green
Fingerprint: EXPRESSWAY in tall pink-magenta block letters with heavy dark outlines on mint-white panel lower left, enormous concentric rainbow archway on left framing stylized city skyline with blocky towers white-and-red domed building traffic light and blue highway with colored saloons, giant close-up head of fair-skinned yellow-orange-haired man in green shirt filling right third, falling red-haired man in magenta shirt across top
A vast rainbow-coloured concentric arch on the left acting as a tunnel or wheel, framing a flat pop-art city inside it. Beside it, a giant close-up portrait of a yellow-haired man in a green shirt filling the right third of the glass, with a swirl of tiny cars and coloured confetti rectangles behind him. The title 'EXPRESSWAY' appears in extremely tall, narrow pink-magenta block capitals on a mint-white band across the lower left. A man in a magenta shirt is shown literally falling head-first across the top, arms outstretched. A yellow 'BALL IN PLAY' sign is printed flat into the artwork at the right edge.
Setting
- Flat green field beneath a blue sky
- Stylised city skyline of blue, red, black and white rectangular towers
- White-and-red domed building
- Blue highway with white directional arrows
- Rainbow concentric archway forming a tunnel
- Swirling field of tiny coloured rectangles and small cars
Symbols
- Concentric rainbow arch
- Black directional arrows
- Traffic light
- Dome building
- White road arrows
- Small coloured rectangles like confetti
- Yellow signboards
Lettering
- Tall condensed pink-magenta sans-serif capitals with heavy dark outline for the title; white cursive script for the maker script; black block capitals on yellow signboards; green capitals on a dark panel for 'game over'
Themes
- Expressway
- Motorway
- City
- Traffic
- Rainbow tunnel
- Pop art
- Mid-century modern skyline
Title on it
- Expressway
Text on it
- EXIT
- 50
- 35 M.P.H.
- GAME OVER
- Bally
- EXCELLENT BALL
- EXPRESSWAY
- BALL IN PLAY
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 0
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Top centre, red-haired, magenta long-sleeve shirt, falling or diving head-first with both arms outstretched, drawn small against the blue sky |
| Man | Giant close-up head filling the right third, fair skin, swept-back yellow-orange hair, heavy-lidded eyes, green shirt with collar, red tie, holding a pink-and-black cone-shaped object near his mouth |
| Woman | Lower centre-right, running in a pink dress or top with green trousers and a pink headscarf, beside a red car |
| Man | Lower right, small figure in a dark suit and hat near the yellow car, facing left |
| Other | Small figure in a yellow cap sitting in the green car's open window |
| Vehicle | Stream of flat pop-art saloons on the highway - green, yellow, teal, blue and a large red car in the lower centre |
A pop-art comic-style backglass dominated on the left by an enormous concentric rainbow archway (brown outer ring, then yellow, orange, green and blue bands) that frames a stylised city skyline: blocky blue, red, black and white towers on a flat green field under a blue sky, with a white-and-red domed building and a red/green traffic light. Below sits a blue highway with white directional arrows and a stream of cars - green, yellow, teal, red and blue saloons with windscreens. A white cursive script word reads 'Bally' under the arch, and beneath it the huge title 'EXPRESSWAY' in tall pink-magenta block letters with heavy dark outlines on a mint-white panel. The right third is filled by a giant close-up head of a fair-skinned man with swept-back yellow-orange hair, a green shirt and a red tie, holding a pink-and-black cone-shaped object, with tiny cars and scattered coloured rectangles swirling behind him. Across the top: a yellow 'EXIT' sign with a black arrow, a falling red-haired man in a magenta shirt reaching out with both hands, a big pale arrow, a pink '50', a yellow '35 M.P.H.' sign, and a dark panel reading 'GAME OVER' in green. A cream five-reel score window sits high right.
Backglass
- blue
- pink
- green
- orange
Fingerprint: EXPRESS in bold magenta art-deco script, bullseye tunnel of orange-yellow-white-green rings receding toward city silhouette, monumental orange-haired male visage looming rightward, couple reclining near yellow sedan, airborne figure launched upward with splayed arrows, cartoonish pop-art rendering with heavy black edges, saturated palette against pale turquoise sky
A gigantic concentric ring of orange, yellow, white and green forming a road tunnel or bullseye, with a city skyline visible at its vanishing point. The arched pink art-deco EXPRESS lettering with a cursive script signature above it. A large orange-haired man's head in magenta skin tones staring down from the right edge, drawn at a much bigger scale than everything around him. A woman in a wide-brimmed hat and a man in green trousers sprawled beside a yellow car under a yellow BALL IN PLAY sign. A tiny leaping man in a magenta shirt flung backwards at the top left, arms splayed, with black and pink arrows around him.
Setting
- City skyline seen through a ring-shaped tunnel
- Open road with parked and driving cars
- Flat pale blue sky scattered with confetti and arrows
Symbols
- Concentric ring / target or tunnel
- Directional arrows
- Road signposts
- City buildings and a domed structure
- Road markings
- Clouds
- Small house and shield icons
- Confetti-like coloured rectangles
Lettering
- Tall arched art-deco capitals in pink-magenta with a heavy black outline for the main title, with a pale blue cursive script signature set above it; small black sans-serif lettering on yellow road and instruction signs.
Themes
- Road
- City
- Travelling
- Pop art
- Comic
- Traffic
- Speed
Title on it
- Express
Text on it
- EXPRESS
- Bally
- EXIT MILE
- BALL IN PLAY
- 0 4 3 5 0
- 10
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Top left, small scale, short dark brown or green hair, magenta long-sleeved shirt, arms thrown wide and one leg bent, depicted mid-leap or falling through the air with a startled expression. |
| Man | Right edge, very large head only, swept-back bright orange hair, magenta skin, heavy black outline, thick dark brows, looking down and to the left with a stern or intent expression, wearing a green garment. |
| Woman | Lower right, pink dress, wide-brimmed magenta hat, pale skin, reclining backwards with arms out, legs extended. |
| Man | Lower right beside the woman, orange hair, green trousers and green top, lying back and leaning against a car. |
| Vehicle | A green car, an orange car and a pink or magenta car on the road at lower centre-right, plus a large yellow car at the bottom right corner. |
Pop-comic style backglass with heavy black outlines and flat, saturated colour. The lower left is dominated by the title EXPRESS, set in tall, arched, art-deco capitals of pink-magenta with a black outline, sitting over a band of lilac and pink cloud shapes. Just above the title is a pale blue cursive script signature. A huge circular ring motif fills the left half: concentric bands of orange, yellow, white and green forming a tunnel or target, with a green roadway running away from the viewer through the middle of it towards a stylised city of magenta and pink blocks, a tall white-and-blue striped tower, and a small domed building. To the right of the ring, a pale blue-green post stands beside a green road sign reading EXIT MILE with a white arrow. A black rectangular score window with a white/silver surround sits high centre-right, showing five mechanical reels reading 0 4 3 5 0. The right third is a pale blue field scattered with confetti-like coloured rectangles, arrows and a small house and shield icon. A large man's head with swept orange hair and magenta skin looks down from the right edge. Below him, a woman in a pink dress and wide-brimmed magenta hat and a man in green trousers recline beside a yellow car, near a yellow BALL IN PLAY sign. Elsewhere, a green car, an orange car and a pink car crowd the road, and a leaping man in a magenta shirt is thrown through the air at the top left.