Machine Description

Chicago Coin's 'Expressway' emerged during the mid-1970s, a period when pinball manufacturers were exploring themes of automotive culture and America's expanding highway system. This electro-mechanical pinball machine captured the excitement of high-speed travel and the growing interstate highway network that was transforming American life.

The machine featured classic EM gameplay elements with a traffic and highway theme, likely incorporating lanes representing highway paths, bumpers styled as cars or road signs, and targets themed around the fast-paced culture of expressway driving. The artwork would have typically featured dynamic scenes of cars and highways, reflecting the era's fascination with automobile culture and speed.

As one of the later electro-mechanical machines produced before the industry's transition to solid-state electronics, Expressway represents an important piece of pinball history. It exemplifies the technical sophistication achieved in purely mechanical pinball design, showcasing the intricate systems of relays, stepper units, and score motors that would soon be replaced by printed circuit boards and digital displays.

While production numbers are not definitively known, Expressway was manufactured during a challenging period for Chicago Coin, as the company faced increasing competition and the impending technological revolution in pinball manufacturing. The machine serves as a testament to the final years of the electro-mechanical era in pinball history.