Prior to the mid-1990s, press kits were not much more than folders or notebooks with a few printed pages of text and some black and white photographs. Then came the golden era of press kits prior to their recent demise into CD-ROMs and requests to download information off the company's media web site.

Beginning in the 1990s, press kits became more and more spectacular until the mid-2000s. Innovative packaging and elaborate on-stage presentations at auto shows were the norm as each company tried to upstage its competitors. Most press kits came with color photographs and color slides. Others included model cars or some memorabilia. The objectives of course, were to get the journalists' attention and to give them something memorable to place on their office desk or bookshelf that said, "Remember us. We gave you a good time and a nice gift. Now give us favorable press coverage."

The unintended consequence was that literature collectors descended on the auto shows in droves and soon outnumbered the media. The "darling" of the interlopers was eBay. Often press kits could be found listed for bid on the same day as the press conferences at astounding prices. High prices then, but reasonable to low prices now, these press kits are becoming harder to find as they attain higher collectible value. They have become good investments as collectors age and become nostalgic about the 1990s.

To give you an idea of what you may be missing, here are a few German press kits. Press kits for makes of all countries can be found with the brochures in the "B" Sale Literature section under the name of each car brand.

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AUDI
More Audi literature

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BMW
More BMW literature

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MAYBACH
More Maybach literature

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MERCEDES-BENZ
More Mercedes-Benz literature

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MINI
More Mini literature

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PORSCHE
More Porsche literature

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VOLKSWAGEN
More Volkswagen literature