The Sticker History
The stickers were first introduced on the 1978 Series 1 "Series Special", which was also the inaugural year for the X1/9 in Australia. Right-hand drive (RHD) versions only became available by mid-1977. Each dealer received a batch of stickers to either place on the cars at the dealership or to hand over to the buyer for self-application. This means there's no direct correlation between the sticker and the vehicle identification number (VIN); the only link is to the dealership itself. The practice of placing stickers on X1/9s continued until late 1981, though it was likely only one or two dealers doing this as it's less common on later models. This could have been due to an excess of stickers, as there were more stickers produced than actual Series Specials imported.
This sticker is on 1978 Series 1
This sticker is on 1979 Series 1.5
This sticker is on 1981 Series 2
Original vs Reproduction
The numbers on an original never seem to line up. Where on a reproduction they are usually computer printed and on a very straight and accurate lineup. As you can see 0329 the 2 is lower and the 9 is higher
There were many reproductions made by enthusiast over the years. None of the copies looks like an original. Below are a few examples of how to tell the difference.
Here are a few examples of reproduction vs original. Sorry about the blurry images I don't have better at the moment. You need to look closely to see the subtle difference. In this case, corner graphics are not the same.
You can see the thickness of the lines on the edges is variable on each of the reproductions. The angles of the curves on the corners are different as well.
These two flags are original, but the bottom one is faded by the sun. Most originals are very faded by now and uncommon to see still attached to the car.
If you look carefully, I have placed a small circle on the union jack. The original has a distinct gap of white. The reproductions have a minimal gap.
Location
The correct location is above the ladder decal on the passenger side. As pictured above on this Green Series 1. There should be no sticker on the driver's side or any place else on the car.
The sticker on the orange series 1 is also an original. However, the dealers in Tasmania placed the stickers below the ladder decal. Not sure if this was on purpose or they did not follow the correct procedure.
