Sigma 1909-1914 - Short-lived
Summary
There have been around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of which have disappeared. Sigma can also be counted among these vanished brands. The brand from western Switzerland was founded by racing cyclist John Meynet. Sigma built passenger cars, trucks and successful racing cars. But this did not last long, the brand only existed for 5 years.
Estimated reading time: 3min
Preview (beginning of the article)
Like Louis Chevrolet before him, John Meynet began his career as a racing cyclist. In 1909, at the age of 26, he took over the factory facilities of the defunct car brand Lucia in Chêne-Bougeries near Geneva. Together with engineer Robert Faesch, he founded the Société Industrielle Genevoise de Mécanique et d'Automobiles = Sigma. In addition to passenger cars with a 1593 cc four-cylinder engine, 2-cylinder trucks were built. The 4-speed gearbox and the round radiator were unusual. In 1910, L. de Prosperis took second place in his class in a racing model at the Targa Florio in Sicily. In 1911, Sigma supplemented its range of passenger cars with models featuring the valveless slide valve engine, for which Meynet had secured the license from the US company Knight. The Sigma SS (= sans soupapes) with 2614 and 4576 cc four-cylinder engines also excelled in races and especially in hill climbs.
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