Play Mustang pinball at the Chicago Auto Show

The Ford Mustang and pinball go together like peanuts and Cracker Jack. The two, far apart mechanically, blend seamlessly to become part of one iconic piece of Americana.

Stern Pinball out of Melrose Park, Ill. is releasing three Mustang-themed machines incorporating as much of the pony cars as physically possible, including genuine chrome badges.

The company had a hard time narrowing down the choice of Mustangs to include in the game, according to Stern executive vice president George Gomez, who is a Mustang fanatic himself.

“The first car I ever bought was a 1970 Mustang Sportsroof with a 302; and I'm currently restoring a 1969 Mach 1,” he said.

Mustang culture is spread thick across the playing field and backboard of the pinball games. But when choosing which 'Stangs to use in the premium models, they went with big guns like the Boss 302, 351, 429 of 69'-71' and the latest 2012-13.

Between the standard, premium and limited editions of the pinball games, the models represented run from the 1960s right up to the newest version.

Stern Pinball machines will be on hand during the media days of the Chicago Auto Show so journalists can go head-to-head with Zach Sharpe, champion pinball player.

Take a closer look at the latest Mustang pinball machines in the video below.

By Brad Wiley