Atari 2600 consoles Made in Ireland?

[TheDash]

Hi. Bit of a n00b here on this forum, and to Atari collecting in general. But I've been playing them of course since before the donkey was actually born.

 

I was under the impression that only Atari Jr's were manufactured in Ireland, be it for a short time. Recently though I've acquired a 4 switch Darth Vader made in Ireland, and also possibly more interestingly a Woody 4 switch. The Woody has a very cobbled together look about it somehow - you'll see from the pictures. As with the Vader the control ports, power switches etc have moved to the top of the chassis - but instead of the base being re-moulded it looks like an original base and has a thin but tough plastic sheet seemingly super glued over where the ports used to be located.

 

Will make more sense when you see the pictures.

 

So I guess my question is - is this unusual in any way? Or were there thousands or millions produced like this.

 

Maybe a question for the more hardcore collectors. Obv I've googled it but come up with nothing. And yes they're a bit dirty - fresh from 30 years of being locked up in a barn!

 

Rich

[Jason_Atari]

That's interesting, i would have thought they would have changed the spelling on color like on the juniors.

[TheDash]

Good spot, I hadn't noticed that.

 

Also the serial number on the Woody is blank, but above the sticker "AI 352" has been stamped into the plastic. I'm guessing AI is Atari Ireland, but is that also the serial number of the machine?

 

I don't know the history of Atari and when they began manufacturing the consoles in Ireland, but it seems these could be possibly a short batch of the older style before the Jr version was produced in the Irish factories. Would be interested to know if anyone else has similar consoles, and if that AI 352 number is different on theirs.

[pgw152]

I have just today picked up a fully-working-needs-a-clean Made In Ireland 4-swicth Woody

 

The etched number on it looks like AI 352 also, although the 5 is a bit scuffed, could be a 6 at a pinch, but I imagine it is also AI 352 (a factory designator?) and my serial sticker is complete and reads No. 009194

 

That seems like a relatively low number? How many of these did AI knock out? (before switching to the JRs?)

[davyK]

Atari had a plant in Ireland for building their arcade games as well.

[DarkTrancer]

Stamp on mine is "AI 392" and Label with serial is 000299. Photos in my gallery.