Valadon Prestige
| Valadon Prestige | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AKA | Prestige |
| Type | Sitdown |
| Released | 198X |
The Valadon Prestige is a French sitdown arcade cabinet manufactured by Valadon Automation during the 1980s.
The cabinet is closely derived from the Tehkan / Tecmo Lava design. Surviving examples share the Lava's compact low-profile sitdown proportions, sloping monitor presentation and distinctive projecting metal feet.
French arcade researchers at Neo-Arcadia identify the Prestige specifically as a Tecmo Lava clone and note that Valadon Automation worked with Tecmo during the period. No surviving primary Valadon or Tecmo documentation presently reproduced here confirms whether the cabinet was produced under licence, so the exact commercial relationship should remain open pending further evidence.
Manufacturer
Valadon Automation was a French industrial-electronics company founded in 1977 in the Saône-et-Loire region near Chalon-sur-Saône.
The company's original work was in industrial automation, including automation equipment for concrete plants.
Valadon entered the amusement-machine industry through work with French manufacturer and distributor René Pierre, initially providing electronics for coin-operated equipment.
During the early 1980s the company also became one of the earliest French developers of arcade videogames.
Its best-known titles include:
- Le Bagnard / Bagman (1982)
- Pickin'
- Super Bagman (1984)
- Tank Busters (1985)
Le Bagnard is frequently cited as one of the earliest original French-developed arcade videogames.
Valadon later withdrew from videogame development and returned its focus to industrial automation.
Design
The Prestige follows the general architecture of the Tehkan(Tecmo) Lava.
Visible Lava-related features include:
- Low sitdown cabinet proportions
- Sloping CRT monitor deck
- Compact integrated player-control area
- Narrow lower body
- Long projecting metal feet
- Similar overall cabinet silhouette
The Prestige is nevertheless not physically identical to the Lava and should be documented as a separate Valadon model.
Surviving examples show a distinctive decorative finish with:
- Brown wood / burl-effect side panels
- Black lower cabinet section
- Cream-coloured control and coin-panel area
- Large black monitor surround
- Separate metal coin panel
- VALADON AUTOMATION branding on the front
- Script Prestige badge on the front-right side
Adjustable feet
A documented feature of the Prestige is its adjustable cabinet height.
The metal feet can be fitted in two positions, allowing the cabinet to be set at two different playing heights.
The surviving side view clearly shows the bolted mounting arrangement used to alter the foot position.
This appears to be a useful distinguishing feature of the Prestige.
Relationship to the Tehkan / Tecmo Lava
The cabinet is sufficiently close in overall construction and proportions to be regarded as a Lava-derived cabinet.
Neo-Arcadia's French cabinet research identifies it directly as a clone of the Tecmo Lava and associates this with Valadon Automation's work with Tecmo during the period.
However, no factory licence agreement, Valadon catalogue or Tecmo documentation has yet been located establishing whether the Prestige was:
- officially licensed by Tecmo;
- manufactured from supplied drawings or parts;
- produced under a distribution agreement; or
- independently derived from the Lava design.
Until stronger primary documentation is found, the cabinet should therefore be described as a documented French Lava clone / derivative rather than a confirmed licensed Tecmo product.
Identification
Useful identifying features visible on the surviving cabinet include:
- VALADON AUTOMATION lettering on the front-left fascia
- Script Prestige badge on the front-right fascia
- Brown wood-effect side panels
- Black lower body
- Cream control-panel surround
- Central metal coin mechanism panel
- Long angular metal support feet
- Adjustable two-position leg mounting
- Strongly inclined monitor presentation
Gallery
-
Front view showing VALADON AUTOMATION branding and Prestige badge -
Three-quarter view showing the cabinet profile and Lava-derived proportions -
Side view showing the wood-effect panels and adjustable two-position metal feet
