MEET THE OWNER – MICHAEL BIRKETT AND HIS COLT SIGMAS

Michael Birkett is a such a connoisseur of fine Colt cars that one Sigma was not enough. To augment his 1978 model, he recently acquired an automatic version owned by Siraj Farook, which we featured in a recent blog. Michael says: “The Sigma from Siraj was mine previously- now undergoing a manual gearbox conversion due to a lack of parts for the three-speed automatic that gave up the ghost…”

The Sigma is also a type of car that my younger self craved after reading about it in the Motor Road Test Annual 1978. After all, the flagship GLX version featured a radio, tinted glass, adjustable steering, velour upholstery, a driver’s seat adjustable for tilt and lumbar support, and a remote-control boot release. Your friendly local Colt dealer could also point out the 2-litre OHC engine, five-speed gearbox, and even warning lights for an open door.

And, best of all, the GLX had a reclining backrest for the rear seat, giving the occupants a choice of five settings. Such fittings were not mere gimmicks but devices to give the Sigma genuine showroom appeal – to both the private buyer and the business customer who might dare to “buy Japanese”.

Such a list of equipment was a world apart from my family’s Citroën Dyane 6, with its ‘luxury’ features including a front ashtray and not a lot else. The Colt also represented excellent value for money; in 1978, the 2000GLX was £4,220 when the Ford Cortina 2.0 Ghia Mk. IV was £4,356.

UK sales of the Sigma began in 1976, two years after Mitsubishi commenced operations in the UK under the Colt brand. Japanese motorists knew it as the

‘Galant Σ’. The Sigma was a star of Stand 123 of the London Motor Show, and the marketing copy gave the reader the impression that they needed to “Move Up To A Colt”. The middle-management sophisticate clearly needed a car with a 2-litre “Silent Shaft” engine.

Autocar stated, “The real revelation of the Sigma, however, was its handling”, and they found the 2000 version “pleasing to drive and to live with”. They concluded, “The general air of quality makes it a car well worth considering in its class”. Motor believed the Sigma looked like “a major threat to European and especially British manufacturers.

What Car described the styling as “fussy”, which now seems a tad unfair. From a 2025 perspective, Sigma’s appearance now seems charmingly Pan-Pacific, from the swage lines to its quad headlamps. As for the interior, it is best described as ‘Late Thames Television Sit-Com Lounge.”

Mitsubishi replaced the original Sigma with the A160-series range in 1980. Forty-five years later, the Birkett collection illustrates the growing interest in Japanese cars of all types. When I first encountered Michael’s Sigma No.1 at a show, I was delighted it more than lived up to my youthful dreams, including the reclining back seat.

After all, the Sigma, “The Car That Drives You Wild With Excitement”.

With thanks to Michael Birkett for his time.

With thanks to Michael Birkett for the permission to use the images in this blog.