BMW got on board the lifestyle-brand train fairly early, and we have admired the 1981, 1986, and 1992 accessory catalogs from those clever Bavarians. Porsche, a brand with a prestige image in the United States long before most on this side of the Atlantic had heard of four-wheeled BMWs, wasn’t far behind in this game, as we can see in the 1990 Porsche Accessories and Boutique Catalog.
$995 in 1990 dollars.
The first dozen or so pages are devoted to upscale trim parts and Porsche-care items, including Blaupunkt cassette decks and Porsche-branded snow chains.
Did anyone buy the Porsche-crest gold ring?
Then the flashy stuff that tells the world “I drive a Porsche” appears. Tie clips, belts, bud vases, beer steins, enough of it to make a powerful Porsche owner’s office a shrine to the brand.
The well-dressed 1990 Porsche owner needed something to wear at the gym, too.
The models in the T-shirts and polo shirts look much less awkwardly early-1990s than their counterparts in the 1992 BMW catalog, and the clothing itself is less garish. This could be the difference between BMW and Porsche, or it could be the difference between 1990 and 1992. You be the judge!