A.M.I.

A.M.I. S.p.A. (Apparecchi Musicali Italiani) was an Italian pinball manufacturer founded in Turin in 1974 by Luigi Lazzaroni, active between 1975 and 1977. The company introduced its first game, Derby, at the ENADA trade show in October 1974 and began production in January 1975. Although it produced only a handful of electromechanical titles, including Hot Race (1975), West Show (1976), and The Shark (1976), A.M.I. is recognized for being among the earliest Italian firms to create locally designed pinball machines at a time when Italian regulations restricted the use of replay features.

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A.M.I. games were often add-a-ball configurations, which let players earn extra balls rather than free plays. Many of their releases were single-player “wedge head” designs with vibrant artwork by Michele “Mike” Martinelli, but the firm also produced a few four-player machines suited for export. The company ceased operations by 1977, largely because it did not transition to the emerging solid-state technology that competitors like Zaccaria adopted to stay current with changing industry standards.