Moving to a new neighborhood is always fun. You become acquainted with an unfamiliar pocket of town, learning its shortcuts, discovering its unique architecture and identifying convenient new places to shop and dine. For us enthusiasts, there’s also the promise of finding intriguing new vehicles adjacent our new abode. I only moved a fortnight ago and I’ve already spotted my first neighborhood Curbside Classic.
This is a Chrysler Sigma Scorpion, also known to Australian Curbsiders in later years as the Mitsubishi Scorpion. Elsewhere, it was badged as the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, Mitsubishi/Plymouth Sapporo and the Dodge Challenger. Based on the rear-wheel-drive Galant (Sigma in Australia), the Scorpion was launched in 1978 wearing Chrysler badges as Chrysler Australia had been building Mitsubishis in their Aussie factory. The Scorpion itself, however, was not locally-assembled and thus carried a further premium over the humble sedan and wagon. When Mitsubishi bought Chrysler’s Tonsley Park and Lonsdale factories in South Australia, the Chrysler nameplate was dropped and the car became the Mitsubishi Scorpion.
This example, with its slightly fussier front and rear fasciae, is a 1978-80 example. The owner has made some modifications but kept the very period rear window louvers and hood ornament. Scorpions are becoming thin on the ground here, although owing to their greater desirability, they now seem to be just as common as the sedan and wagon that were class-leaders in the sales race.
When I was around ten or so, I went for a spin in a brown 1981-85 Scorpion belonging to a member of my extended family. Sitting in the plush, premium cloth passenger seat and looking at the elegantly-styled dash, I knew I was riding in something just a little special. The car hardly seemed sporty, even through my young eyes and even as the driver aggressively changed gears and took corners at speed. But with their gutsy 2.6 Astron four, these had sufficient get-up and go and appealed to buyers who wanted a Mitsubishi – and that badge has always possessed more equity here than in North America – but to those Mitsubishi buyers who wanted something a bit more special than a Sigma sedan. I’m glad I spotted another Scorpion, and I’m delighted it lives in my new neighborhood.
Related Reading:
CC Outtake: 1978-87 Mitsubishi Sigma – Hugely Popular Becomes Hugely Rare
Curbside Classic Capsule: 1981 Dodge Challenger – That Thing Does Got A Hemi
I had a teacher here in the U.S. that had a gray Plymouth Sapporo that I rode in several times. It really felt different from the big American cars that I was used to riding in back then. She called it her little “sports car” and really loved that car. I remember thinking how much it reminded me of my sister’s ’74 Celica. These were very nice cars for the times, but never really sold all that well – I think maybe because they were pricey compared to comparable small cars. The American public wasn’t willing to pay a premium for a premium little car, but then again you get what you pay for. Interesting find William!
I rented a Tilden Sapporo, It was one heck of a car! Mitsubishi did it’s homework with this car, and Chrysler did a good business in Canada with the Challenger/Sapporo! The MCA Jet engine performed spot-on, and it showed it’s stuff with the built-in-Quebec Mitsubishi Calumet GT… But its those 80’s coupes with their hot looks and cool performance made me a Chrysler-Mitsubishi fan for life, they’re SO Groovy!
Tilden Sapporo? Mitsubishi Calumet GT? I’ve never heard of these and Google brings up nothing. Can you give us some more info?
Tilden was a car rental company in Canada until the mid-1990’s, when they were sold to National. Not sure about Calumet.
Rare car. Makes me think of the starion ten yes later.
Inside looks like some CITROEN products.specially the steering wheel.
This is the first time I’ve seen this body without the US bumpers, and I like it so much better. I love the dash and steering wheel designs.
These were probably the best thing you could find at a Mopar dealership at that time. I have always liked these cars in spite of the obvious brand debasement.
Remind me of a 8/10 scale mustang of same vintage.
That said I couldn’t tell you when the last time I saw one, here’s hoping for that CC effect.
One of my friends I met when I first moved to Texas actually had two of these; before I knew him he had a ’79 Plymouth Sapporo, and when I knew him he had moved on to an ’81 Dodge Challenger. I really liked the Challenger…back then most of my friends still had 2 door cars…I had a ’78 Scirocco. The only problem I remember him having with it was tire cupping due to an alignment problem…and he did replace the radio for some reason…had it through 1988 when he replaced it with a Mercury Tracer.
He was one of the guys involved in a treachery where they took me to a Mexican restaurant and ordered for me, made me eat the food and (later) told me what I had eaten. I suppose since at the time I was a transplanted northerner and didn’t know much about the food that made it all the more funny to them…but I must have forgiven them for that transgression (or maybe I just forgot about it in their presence).
I recall seeing a marroon later model one of these at the nursing home where my mom worked back around 2000, that’s the only one I can ever recall seeing.
Pretty modern & clean dash board/steering wheel. Nice exterior design for a 78-80 vehicles. Why the hell am I just hearing about this little car. This is the first time I ever heard or saw this car. I’m intrigued now to do more research on it.
Thanks for posting on this little known creature. We always here of the 79-80 Omni/Horizon but never this little wonder.
Looks cool-the back tail lights would look at home in any 1987 model car. Which proves this car was ahead of it’s time. I knew right away there was no way this was a “True” Chrysler design. Why because it’s too good, too correct, the car is executed to good for what Chrysler put out at the time.
That brown Sapporo in the CC link at the bottom of this post I first shot almost ten years ago and I still see it from time to time, a little worse for wear.
I’ve always been a fan of these. Way too long since I’ve seen one though, especially a 1st-gen. The louvers and blacked-out rims give it an extra bit of “Mad Max” cool.
Chris M.
It does have that “baby” Mad Max thing going on. Never in my life have I seen this car. Going by the age and limited numbers produced-sadly I’m pretty sure I will never see one in my life time. That’s how rare jewels are though, much like the 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity VR6 Eurosport, or 1990 Cadillac Seville STS with the Pre-Northstar engine in it.
My thoughts too, it reminds me of the Monaro Interceptor at the beginning of the first movie.
I’ve always liked them too, and think they’re the most pleasing small sport coupe of their era. My impression is that they were relatively refined and well-built, and their interiors I think were best in class.
Never knew they were called Scorpion in Australia. I guess Lancia didn’t use the Scorpion name anywhere but North America, so the (very good) name must have been up for grabs.
Eric703
Yup that interior is for sure not only best in class. Probably one of the smoothest clean looking dashboard’s their is. amazing little car, that interior looks so good I want to drive one now just to sit in the car.
Shame, this is a car that they should have kept in their stable. The interior design is better than what premium brands put out at the time.
Never was a fan of the Challenger/Sapporo but I have to admit it’s a decent looking car without those damned federalized battering ram bumpers.
Nice find. Shape works in allblack.
These were nice honest little cars with a surprising plushness and MCA-Jet performance.
I’m guessing maybe because Lancia had the name but I think Plymouth Scorpion would have been much cooler here than Plymouth Sapporo .
That’s a nice dashboard-very readable gauges and the speedometer has a sensible scale, too. The Citroen steering wheel is a little weird, but makes sense because it doesn’t block anything.
+1
It looks like someone photoshopped a CX wheel of the same vintage in the pic. Strange, yet it looks rather good.
The speedo looks like it’s primarily done in MPH rather than KM/H. Would that be a UK spec car?
Probably so. My Hyundai’s speedometer goes to 160, which would make sense if it were km/h.
Back around 87-88 one of my good friends’ moms had the Dodge Challenger version of this platform, with the then-famous 2.6 liter “MCA Jet” engine.
To me, it always felt like the ultimate sacrilege to take one of Detroit’s most storied nameplates and tack it onto a four-cylinder import. Standing on its own, however, it was a rather cool little car. It was later traded in on Toyota 4Runner.
Somewhere in my parents’ garage I have a Matchbox replica of this car, in bright metallic green.
Nice cars in their day. In Japan, these were known as the Galant Λ (Lambda), and were initially marketed as more a personal luxury coupe than anything. 1980 was the debut year of the facelift squared roof models, and the lineup was considerably diversified. Mitsubishi introduced both gasoline and diesel turbocharged engines at this point; the diesel being powered by the 2.3 Astron 4D55T that produced 95ps and 133lb (JIS, which were quite good figures at the time). Gasoline turbocharged models used one of the first applications of the famed 2.0 Sirius 4G63T that produced 145ps and 159lb JIS. These gasoline turbo models also introduced independent rear suspension, and their subsequent platform was utilized for the following Starion.