Williams

Grand Prix

Pinside Rating

This game received 91 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.084 _/10

8.084

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #58 in the Pinside EM Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.151

Artwork: 7.864

Sounds/Music: 2.739

Other Aspects: 8.184

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 1 of us has rated this game.

6.885

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Found 57 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 57 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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6.454/10

4 years ago

MAH

PinsMH

Inactive member

Media, PA

4y 22,750 1 15

Real old school! I liked the nostalgic score board sounds and overall simplicity of the game. And it played smoothly. There is a lot of space on the board, but again that feeds the simplicity of the game due its generation.

Hard game to rate when comparing 1970s technology to later games, but enjoyed it.

7.713/10

4 years ago

REW

woody76

Pinball Marketing

Nashville, TN

9y 142K 6,848 6 98

super fun EM, I have the 2 player version liberty bell that can be had for half the price. Plays fast and ripping the 2 spinners is a blast.

7.662/10

4 years ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

7y 245K 2,923 33 106

Grand Prix is one an EM that almost feels like a Solid State Game. Dual Spinners, Drop Targets, Kickouts -- all the fun stuff. More than that though if plays/feels much faster than other EMs I've had experience with. Makes sense for a racing car pin, huh? I like the left/right bonus feature and the kickouts that allow you to collect the bonus when entered.

I was lucky enough to play a clean and nicely working example. . . I would be proud to own one myself someday!

7.052/10

4 years ago

???

PinballLoner

Pinside apprentice

Rockville, MD

4y 8,750 1 21

It is a simple but fun game that could’ve implemented the racing theme better. For me, the spinner and bonus x multiplier makes the game fun. It is repetitive, but I love it. The machine titled a little too easy for my liking and the flipper motors were really loud on this one but it did not distract from the fun.

PinballLoner edited previous rating on October 12, 2019.

8.477/10

4 years ago

PLB

PBSaltyKracker

Pinside+ Frequent

Alabaster, AL

9y 50,150 190 9 17

Just a double spinner monster of a machine. Simple and repetitive? Heck yeah, just the kind that works you good and steady to really consider your shots. Teaches you to capture the ball and make specific choices more than most early EM models.

PBSaltyKracker currently owns this game.

8.766/10

4 years ago

RFK

R8f1k

Pinside member

Grayslake, IL

10y 40,200 345 8 16

First pin I ever bought. Tilt this machine up high on it’s back legs, high tap the transformers, put two coats of carnauba wax on it and go. A perfect EM that will keep beginners going and is still challenging to the serious pinhead. Great artwork, nice flow, great layout and the loud spinner targets are such a satisfying shot. See one cheap, grab it.

R8f1k has owned this game in the past.

7.977/10

5 years ago

AJH

AndHart120

Pinside member

13y 67,550 814 49 1

I grew up on this game. It has been in my family since before I as born and continues to be. I am a SS guy but as for EMs this one has always been a lot of fun. Hitting the spinners is always great, as well as the bonus countdown when you have done a 2x, 3x, or 4x!

10.000/10

5 years ago

???

oldochris

Pinside apprentice

5y 26,250 51

Great game, belonging to my game room , some years ago !

oldochris edited previous rating on August 05, 2023.

7.082/10

5 years ago

DDW

sohchx

Pinside member

9y 87,050 2,259 76

I couldn't get enough of this game!!!! Love hitting the spinners time and time again and the simplistic design. I am a racing fan so this is right up my alley and I will be picking one up very shortly.

7.570/10

5 years ago

WXW

Lawlor_and_Order

Pinball 518

7y 81,400 38 112

A Grand Prix race ought to have more twists and turns in this, which plays out more like an oval track. That said, this is very late in Steve Kordek's design career, and it may be his last great "long shot" playfield. As noted in other reviews, gameplay involves alternating between the two lanes on either side - orbit shots, more or less, with a half orbit, in order to trigger the spinner - and doing it in the right sequence requires that you master the art of the post pass. Yet, because of the open ended inlane guides, it's very dangerous to trap balls, so game play requires fairly adept fast flipper management and judgment. It may have been a drain fest in some ways when it first came out, but it has aged well; it's a good player's game, emphasizing skill and sequencing, and that's pretty good for a very late EM game.

As a follow-up to Space Mission/Odyssey, the theme here is a bit flat, but you can't have everything on all machines. The artwork here is typically excellent Christian Marché, with detailed Grand Prix-like city race courses depicted in backglass and plastics. The main playfield, though, could have used a little jazzing up, given the theme.

I think in the end this machine is one clever twisty shot away from being a great one, but as a pretty good one, it should have some staying power.

7.333/10

6 years ago

SAG

pinballprincess

Pinside member

8y 35,050 77 24

Grand Prix is a fairly straightforward game. Hitting the spinner raises the bonus value of that side; maxing out the bonus value juices the spinner value up, allowing for lucrative spinner rips. The saucers collect the bonus, resetting it. The pairs of drop targets in the center raise your bonus multiplier. At the beginning of each ball, one side's bonus counter is lit, and this counter's value is awarded to you upon draining. The game's goal is mostly to hit the spinner over and over - if good spinner rips are up your alley, this game will be, too. Just mind the inlanes - trapping up is a dangerous game, here, as more often than not the ball will go straight out the gap in the inlane guides.

pinballprincess edited previous rating on December 12, 2018.

8.571/10

6 years ago

MJS

Matesamo

PinballRI

Warwick, RI

7y 117K 1,292 112 1

FAST. That is one word which I would use to describe Grand Prix. The DC power slings the ball around the tables with reckless abandon. Those with lightening quick reflexes need not apply. The feeling of hitting one of the spinners and seeing the lights strobe in order while the clickety-click spinner spins is one of the best moments you will have in pinball. I wish the backglass looked better, there is no character to it. Oh well, no game is perfect.

10.000/10

7 years ago

JAS

jetmechinnc

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 80,050 1,139 30

This is the most fun pinball I've played since Addam's Family. Great fun with spinners beats out my F-14 tomcat pin multi-ball all day long.

7.746/10

8 years ago

PVW

pascal-pinball

Pinside member

19y 92,075 1,590 255

great game for it's age !!

7.662/10

8 years ago

S

pinballholder

GoldenStatePin

Rocklin, CA

10y 102K 1,447 5 25

Love the spinners and the two independent bonus ladders. This is a great four player EM. Suffers a little from the typical 70's art, but overall a very fun EM.

pinballholder has owned this game in the past.

8.282/10

8 years ago

???

gura

Inactive member

Munich

9y 9,900 1 11

One of the best EMs ever. Has everything an EM can have - spinner, bumpers, drop targets, kick-out holes.
Lot of fun to shoot the spinners to increase the bonus. Fast & challenging. Be careful as it has inner ball return lanes with an open slot, forcing you to be very carefully at catching/stopping the ball.
Really like it and one day I will own one.

9.189/10

8 years ago

???

almer1diehl

Inactive member

Unknown

10y 21,900 11 14 9

I only restore the games I really like....this one is on the list.

almer1diehl currently owns this game.

7.887/10

8 years ago

JOE

joeyp1966

Inactive member

Lawrenceville, GA

8y 54,900 322 6 9

For an EM its a fun game, it sits beside my TZ, WW, RS, WH2O etc. and still I play it . Something about going back to pinballs roots once in a while. Its been in my family since 1978 , passed down twice and I treat it like a baby. Nice spinner shots, love the bonus multiplier drops, and the drops in the pop bumpers keeps you nudging it for days up there . In lanes are tricky, trapping a ball on a flipper is a challenge, darn fine game from that era. Gotta keep playing it regularly, cant let it sit... don't know how to work on these old dudes and i assume sitting idle is the worst thing I could do to it.

joey__p__1966 currently owns this game.

4.289/10

8 years ago

AGB

Ramtuathal

Pinside member

Louisville, KY

8y 63,650 123 1 148

Grand Prix feels like a Williams EM. Shooting the spinners and the center drops is fun, but the rules seem a little weak. The saucers are fun to shoot, but they don't seem to add much to the game play.

As far as EM's go - I wouldn't snatch this one up unless it was dirt cheap.

Ramtuathal edited previous rating on March 19, 2016.

6.800/10

8 years ago

D L

charliebrown2417

Pinside member

Kent, OH

8y 54,400 136 5 352

Decently fun , but doesn't have me begging for more.

9.332/10

8 years ago

CDF

Collin

Pinside member

Columbus, OH

11y 116K 5,272 29 82 1

This is hands-down one of the fastest, most modern-feeling EMs I've played. Definitely my favorite Williams 3" flipper EM (and really, my favorite Williams EM overall.) The theme really does it for me, the backglass is great, chimes are good, playfield art is decent. Though I don't normally love symmetrical layouts, the alternating bonus from ball to ball makes this one work very well. The inlanes that let you lose a ball if you catch it the wrong way keep the pace up. Great spinner shots, and the ability to add double bonus on any ball adds something. Great risk/reward in choosing to collect bonus or rip the spinner for 1000 a spin once bonus is maxed on the unlit side.

Just a fantastic game, and the most popular EM I have for league play.

Collin edited previous rating on October 23, 2023.
Collin has owned this game in the past.

9.915/10

8 years ago

LEO

Arcade

Colorado Canyon

Beaumont, TX

11y 120K 6,324 16 34

For and EM, this game has a lot going for it.
4 Player, two spinners, two collect bonus holes, extra balls, rotating bonus advance and a collect bonus light that switches sides between balls. One of the greats.

Arcade has owned this game in the past.

9.390/10

8 years ago

DEN

KingNine

Pinside member

Beaumont, TX

10y 51,900 1,050 18 13

One of the fastest EM's I can recall. If you love games the reward you for ripping the spinner this one doubles your fun. I played it at a tournament and fell in love with it. Shortly afterward I found one in my area. I guess it was meant to be for me to own one! This will become a permanent fixture of the collection!

KingNine currently owns this game.

7.155/10

10 years ago

GM

BallyWizard

Inactive member

London

10y 34,150 2 24 98

A fun game and very complex to fix. One of the last Williams EMs and believe me they tried to fit a lot into the mechanics of this game. This, Mata Hari (EM) and possibly a few other late Bally EMs are amongst the hardest to repair. Their schematics are like an Egyptian scroll, going on and on and on. This is a fun overall game, with good artwork. Not one I would want to own, but a good game nonetheless.

8.921/10

10 years ago

RUF

rufessor

Pinside member

11y 66,400 2,062 6 10

Have had this game over nine years and mine has been completely and utterly mechanically restored and been playing in this condition for many years.

This game absolutely rips. The DC pops and slings make for an incredibly fast paced ball, at times- while the spinners are an incredibly rewarding shot when ripped -the mechanical beast comes to life as it is animating all the lights and triggering score reels etc. The sound is amazingly addictive as the pitch of the mayhem perfecly reflects ball speed going in, while the action allows them to slowly spin down, the pitch fades as they slow.

You cannot possibly not want the rip the spinners every single shot. Thats really all you need to know. The game has two perfect shots- and all you want to do is keep ripping them. Yes- there are other shots, and yes they are fun.

Bonus accumulation uses two sets of easily hit drop targets- but there is some risk of draining these shots if you are just slightly off in your aim (hint for my game geo- straight on is dangerous).

The bells and score reels counting down bonus are also a nice audio feature- if you have your bonus multiplier lit the bonus counts in 10K increments, and this count is fast as you only index the 10K score reel- so up to a hard ten count! The bonus counting mechanisms are big and use large coils and hit pretty hard- it is loud and super rewarding (very rapid) when multiplier is lit, slightly slow and muted without the bonus multiplier being lit as ot counts in 1K increments now. This slow count becomes aggravating when you are playibg well. a perfect foil as the game taunts you with boredom and muted monotony for not having the multiplier lit!!

Just a complete package- everyone in the room stops to listen when someone rips the spinners- every time- all night. They will start cheering it on eventually. Awesome game.

Visually its cool- cabinet is best part for me - cool looking.

rufessor edited previous rating on September 12, 2023.
rufessor currently owns this game.

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