F-1 © 1976 Atari.
A single-player sit-down driving game where the player sat down in a simulated Formula 1 race car while the scene was projected onto a giant screen in front of them.
This was an electromechanical projection game, similar to Chicago Coin's Speedway but done in much larger, and more realistic fashion.
Released in November 1976, debuted to the industry at the MOA '76 trade show in November. Play Meter Magazine called it "one of the two most talked about games at the show" and "truly a great arcade piece."
Per an internal sales document, the game initially sold for $2995, putting it at $1000 under a big video piece like Indy 4, but costing about twice as much as Atari's big video hit from that year, Sprint II. F-1 dropped in price to $1495 in April 1978 when sales had likely cooled.
Designed by Namco for Atari, being their first foray into something like the video arcade design business, although their first proper video game would come along in 1978 with the release of Gee Bee.
Machine's picture.
December 1976 Issue of Play Meter Magazine, Pg. 24
Internal Atari Sales Report via Arcade Heroes
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