1976 · Williams
Grand Prix
Known for Top saucer, Side saucers, Side spinners and A and B drop targets. Dark blue night sky, harbour-city skyline of colourful slab towers, racing circuit with wooden crash barriers and sea and quayside boats.
- Year
- 1976
- Maker
- Williams
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 4
Known for
- saucer
Top saucer
- saucer
Side saucers
- Spinner
Side spinners
- Drop target
A and B drop targets
- indicator
Red arrow
- Goal
Double Bonus
On the playfield
Holes 2
- Top saucer saucer
- Side saucers saucer
Spinner 1
- Side spinners
Drop targets 2
- A and B drop targets
- C and D drop targets
Slingshot 1
- Mini-slings mini-slings
Lights 2
- Stars
- Red arrow indicator
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Small standing racing driver at far left, blue one-piece racing suit and blue helmet, upright posture, appears to hold a lanyard or strap
- other Large disembodied arm and hand in a red sleeve with white cuff reaching down from the upper right of the racing scene, hand open over the track
- vehicle Red open-wheel racing car nearest the viewer at bottom centre-left, huge black rear tyres, chrome exhaust stacks
- vehicle Green racing car ahead of the red one, mid-frame on the track
- vehicle Blue racing car further back on the left of the pack
- other Small striped red helmet and small striped green helmet, one tucked inside each of the two yellow boat-shaped score bezels
Setting
- Dark blue night sky
- Harbour-city skyline of colourful slab towers
- Racing circuit with wooden crash barriers
- Sea and quayside boats
Text on it
- Williams
- GRAND PRIX
- 10
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 543,300
- 000,000
- 1ST UP
- 2ND UP
- 3RD UP
- 4TH UP
- Play flipper skill games for fun and recreation
- It's more fun to compete
- Invite competition
- BALL IN PLAY
- HAND PAID
- GAME OVER
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
How it plays
-
Goals 4
- Double Bonus
- Side bonus
- Saucer collect
- Drain collect
Made by
- Design
- Steve Kordek
- Art
- Christian Marche
Reference
Linked terms
- Side saucers also called Side bonus saucers
- Side spinners also called Spinners
- A and B drop targets also called A-B drops also called A+B
- Red arrow also called End-of-ball side arrow
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- red
- cream
- yellow
- blue
Fingerprint: 20th anniversary: enormous sunburst wedges in cream-orange-red-purple filling two-thirds of field, vertical red spine with medal medallions and bonus triangles, two yellow domed bumpers under 20th anniversary banner, small red sports cars with advance bonus lanes, symmetrical racing theme
The most memorable element is the huge radiating sunburst of cream, orange, red and purple triangles filling the whole lower two-thirds of the playfield, with a green wedge at its point. Second, a vertical red spine down the centre carrying three silver medal medallions above a stacked 'BONUS BONUS BONUS' triangle and the text block 'SCORES BONUS INDICATED BY LIT RED ARROW WHEN BALL LEAVES PLAYFIELD'. Third, two big yellow-gold domed bumper caps glowing side by side in the upper playfield beneath an arched back panel marked '20th ANNIVERSARY'. Fourth, a pair of small red sports car graphics flanking matching red-and-green triangular arrow lanes stamped 'ADVANCE BONUS'.
Setting
- Flat printed sunburst of radiating colour wedges
- Cream and pale yellow mid-field
- Metallic grey lockdown bar and cabinet trim
- Dark room beyond the cabinet reflecting in the glass
Symbols
- Playing-card targets showing 10 and j
- Three silver medal medallions on a red spine
- Stacked red bonus triangles
- Red and green triangular arrow lanes
- Large circular red, white and blue w medallion
- Red, white and blue chevron arrows on the apron
- Round cream insert lamps
- Two domed bumper caps
- Wireform ramp
Notable shapes
- Large multi-coloured radiating sunburst filling the lower two-thirds of the field
- Vertical red triangular spine down the centre carrying three medallions and stacked bonus triangles
- Arched top back panel with crest
- Red trapezoid instruction block above the flippers
- Two symmetric red-and-green triangular arrow lanes
Art motifs
- Radiating sunburst wedges
- Score ladders
- Symmetrical mirrored left-right layout
- Red trapezoid instruction panel
Themes
- Racing
- Grand prix
- Anniversary edition
- Bonus ladder
- Bowling-style bonus medals
Title on it
- 20th anniversary
Text on it
- 20th
- ANNIVERSARY
- SPELL BONUS
- ADVANCE BONUS
- 10
- J
- 1000
- 5000
- 10000
- 15000
- 20000
- 25000
- 30000
- BONUS
- SCORES BONUS
- INDICATED BY
- LIT RED ARROW
- WHEN
- BALL LEAVES PLAYFIELD
- SAME PLAYER
- SHOOTS AGAIN
- WHEN LIT
- FOR SPECIAL
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- GRAND PRIX
- For Amusement Only
- One to Four Players
- 3 BALLS PER GAME
- 1 PLAY - QUARTER
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- INSTRUCTIONS
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Small red open-top sports car graphic, left mid-lower field, angled up-left beside a black advance bonus panel |
| Vehicle | Matching small red sports car graphic, right mid-lower field, angled up-right beside a black advance bonus panel |
| Other | Red, white and blue shield-shaped crest emblem centred on the arched top back panel |
A brightly lit, wedge-shaped racing-themed electro-mechanical playfield photographed from above, glass reflecting the room lights. The layout is strongly symmetrical about a vertical centre line. At the top, a curved back panel carries a red, white and blue shield-shaped crest emblem, flanked by a banner with red script lettering reading '20th' and 'ANNIVERSARY'. Below it the upper playfield holds two large round domed bumper caps glowing yellow-gold under clear plastic, with red insert lamps and a wireform ramp arcing across. Two rectangular card targets sit high left and high right, one showing a black '10' and the other a black 'J' on white card faces. The mid and lower field is a big radiating sunburst of cream, yellow, orange, red and purple triangles fanning out from a central green wedge. A vertical red panel runs down the middle carrying three round silver medal-like medallions above a red triangular stack of 'BONUS' emblems. Symmetrical rows of round cream insert lamps are flanked by printed score values climbing 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000, 25000, 30000 and 10000. Red and green triangular advance-bonus arrow lanes point up on both sides, each paired with a small red sports car graphic and a black 'ADVANCE BONUS' panel. Lower centre is a red trapezoid instruction block in white capitals, below which a white 'SHOOTS AGAIN WHEN LIT' apron panel and a black hole sit between two tan-and-brown rubber-tipped flippers. The bottom apron is white with red, white and blue chevron arrow graphics flanking a large round red, white and blue 'W' medallion, with small blue instruction cards either side and a metal lockdown bar across the very bottom.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- blue
- yellow
- red
- orange
Fingerprint: Grand Prix: red script Williams logotype, blocky red-to-orange gradient title, two boat-shaped yellow bezels holding upper score reels with striped helmet heads visible inside, four red 1ST UP/2ND UP medallions with yellow wing flourishes, motor-racing cars chasing across scene.
The most memorable element is the pair of yellow boat-shaped bezels carrying the two upper score reels, drawn as racing-boat hulls with a red and a green striped helmet visible inside each. Close behind is the towering red-to-orange gradient slab-serif title GRAND PRIX with a red script Williams logotype and circular emblem at its left. A whole row of four red 1ST UP / 2ND UP / 3RD UP / 4TH UP medallions runs down the middle-right, each paired with a yellow wing flourish. Lowest left is the only human figure: a small standing person in a blue racing suit and helmet. There is also a disembodied red-sleeved arm reaching into the upper right of the racing scene.
Setting
- Dark blue night sky
- Harbour-city skyline of colourful slab towers
- Racing circuit with wooden crash barriers
- Sea and quayside boats
Symbols
- Four yellow-and-red ball-in-play round lamps
- Red circular up-position medallions
- Yellow wing flourishes
- Yellow pennant flags numbered 1 and 2
- White circles numbered 1 2 3 4
- Red-and-white striped helmets
Lettering
- Heavy slab-serif capitals with red-to-orange vertical gradient and dark blue outline for the title; italic red script logotype at top left; plain black sans-serif for the mid-band instruction phrases; orange block letters for ball in play; glowing red-orange caps for game over
Themes
- Motor racing
- Open-wheel racing cars
- Harbour city skyline
- Mechanical score reels
- Player standings up to four
Title on it
- Grand prix
Text on it
- Williams
- GRAND PRIX
- 10
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 543,300
- 000,000
- 1ST UP
- 2ND UP
- 3RD UP
- 4TH UP
- Play flipper skill games for fun and recreation
- It's more fun to compete
- Invite competition
- BALL IN PLAY
- HAND PAID
- GAME OVER
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Small standing racing driver at far left, blue one-piece racing suit and blue helmet, upright posture, appears to hold a lanyard or strap |
| Other | Large disembodied arm and hand in a red sleeve with white cuff reaching down from the upper right of the racing scene, hand open over the track |
| Vehicle | Red open-wheel racing car nearest the viewer at bottom centre-left, huge black rear tyres, chrome exhaust stacks |
| Vehicle | Green racing car ahead of the red one, mid-frame on the track |
| Vehicle | Blue racing car further back on the left of the pack |
| Other | Small striped red helmet and small striped green helmet, one tucked inside each of the two yellow boat-shaped score bezels |
A printed backglass inside a pale wooden cabinet frame, with a dark blue sky backdrop above a stylised harbour-city skyline of multicoloured slabby towers in yellow, orange, teal, blue and green. Across the top a red-orange script 'Williams' logotype with a circular emblem sits left of the huge title 'GRAND PRIX', letters in blocky slab capitals coloured red at the top fading to orange-yellow, outlined in dark blue. Four mechanical score reels run horizontally: two upper windows (cream cards reading 543,300 and 000,000) framed by yellow boat-shaped bezels, and two lower windows at right showing 000,000 in blue-bordered panels. Four red circular badges with white outlines read 1ST UP, 2ND UP, 3RD UP and 4TH UP, each tucked beside a yellow wing-like flourish; small black numerals 1 and 2 sit on yellow pennants at the top corners. A row of three black instruction phrases crosses the middle above the city. The lower half shows a motor-racing scene: three open-wheel racing cars in red, green and blue chasing left to right, a blue-suited standing figure at far left, a red-sleeved arm reaching down from the upper right, wooden crash barriers, and BALL IN PLAY lettering above two glowing yellow round lamps. Red GAME OVER lettering glows bottom left, and 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY sits above four white numbered circles at bottom right.