I just got my hands dirty handling these

[George Hussey]

Porsche said that they just came out with these 356 maintenance books as reprints for their classic selection. Well they are certainly classic! As covered in dust as they were, they HAVE to be originals!!!!!!!

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[George Hussey]

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back shot

[Sebastian Gaeta]

Yeah, that's a lot of dust for being made on December 22, 2014.

[Bruce Smith]

Reutter ERLKÖNIG CLASSIC in Germany makes the reprints. They sell them for about $56 on their web site. Or wait until the LA Lit Meet for a show discount.

[Mervyn Hyde]

My original ones (same as above) and several other booklets that were with the car as delivered are still rattling around in the glovebox. My friend suggested I pull them out and put them in plastic bags?

[Mervyn Hyde]

May I ask if these (once) clear plastic 'wallets' were standard? Mine also has this odd thick, plain cardboard tag inserted with no obvious purpose.

[JohnSParsley]

The clear plastic wallets were standard for C cars I believe. I also think that the cardboard thing is actually a cleaning cloth for the glass on the gauges, but I have not wanted to cut it out of one of my plastic wallets to confirm that.

[Mervyn Hyde]

Thanks John. Interesting on the cleaning cloth! Mine is a BT6.

[Steve Douglas]

I always thought that the cardboard was to keep the aluminum address-o-graph warrantee plate from getting bent. The aluminum embossed plate was kept by the delivering dealership in most cases. It had the serial number plus some internal codes. These plates were inserted into a "stamping machine" and invoices were stamped with that info. Copies of the delivery check out invoice was sent to the distributor and maybe the factory for their records. I have only seen one in place in the pocket and that was a car that was tourist delivery and was said to have been picked up at the dock in Los Angeles upon arrival.

[Mervyn Hyde]

Even more interesting! The cardboard piece is completely sealed under a 30% larger pocket on the outside. The outside pocket may have contained something.

[Harlan Halsey]

Steve,
My '76 Mercedes has one of those clear plastic covers with the stamped plate in a pocket. I think that pre computer, the dealer imprinted the invoice with it every time the car was serviced.

[Vic Skirmants]

Cool info. I still learn something new here almost every day!

[Paul Ahnell]

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For what it's worth, my '83 240D had the same ID plate. It was a great car but after 350K miles and 25 years I realized I was paying more for 15ppm diesel than I would for Hi-test unleaded. Raus!