Jeutel

Jeutel was a French manufacturer of arcade and pinball machines founded in the early 1980s in or near Rennes, France, emerging during a period of growing interest in Europe’s coin-operated amusements. Although specific details on its founders remain scarce, Jeutel is notable for being among the few French firms to actively produce pinball machines at a time when large American and European companies dominated the industry.

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Between approximately 1982 and 1983, Jeutel released several pinball titles, including “Car Jacks,” “Baby,” “Billy,” “King,” and “Rally”. These games drew upon established design practices commonly seen in popular Bally and Gottlieb machines of the era, featuring similarly arranged playfields and familiar mechanical elements. By focusing on reliability and cost efficiency, Jeutel appealed to smaller amusement venues and café owners who sought modestly priced equipment with steady revenue potential, thereby carving out a local niche in France and its neighboring markets.

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However, external market shifts and increasing competition ultimately limited Jeutel’s prospects in the pinball sector. The company ceased producing new pinball machines by the mid-1980s and fully withdrew from the coin-operated amusement industry soon afterward. Despite its brief existence, Jeutel remains an interesting chapter in pinball history, reflecting the ambition of smaller European manufacturers to challenge dominant global players and enrich the diversity of coin-operated entertainment.