Is this an original Porsche part (natural brown leather seat)?

I noticed two things about these seat bottoms that make me wonder if they are OEM. In the first picture, you can see that at the back of the cushion, the leather is lighter. Is that normal? (I'm guessing someone recolored/redyed it to cover wear, but I can think of other explanations.) In the second picture, from the same end of the same seat, you can see that the leather is stapled to the seat. Is this how OEM seats are put together? Thanks for any insight into this!

Here's another photo of the color change. (There is also a shadow which makes the side bolster look lighter, but the color change at the rear of the seat is real, not a trick of the light.)

The lighter shade is from the seatback protecting that section from wear and grime over the years. Natural leather tends to show use faster than the semi-aniline options, but the shine on your seat isn't how it came new. Over time, anything that lands on the seat (even dust) serves as a polishing agent and grinds itself in as someone's butt shifts around in the seat. A brush or terrycloth, leather cleaner, and a bit of elbow grease will remove the top layer of grime, bringing back the lighter original color and reducing the sheen. Your 996 vintage seat is in great condition and can look close to new with a little love. Can't tell you if the seat cover is OEM (looks it to me), but hogrings and staples are generally how seats are upholstered.

No hog rings on 996 seats. Plastic pins. staples and sewn on slip over plastic edge clamp (like plastic door edge guard)

Thanks for the very helpful (and enouraging) feedback!

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Which raises a question I've been wondering about. Any leather care products that work particularly well with Porsche leather (particularly natural leather)? (For a different car, I've heard great things about Furniture Clinic (though it may make leather slippery), and Gliptones (though the new leather smell that some love others find strong, and I'm trying to recall whether some also describe it as artificial).) Thanks again!

So I've started reading threads about leather care. Seems to be a bit of a can of worms. Most of what I read is about regular care, whereas what I need first is the a good product for cleaning natural leather that apparently wasn't cleaned as often as it should have been. Doesn't have to be the best, but shouldn't do harm. I may find the answer when I have time to look at more threads. Till then, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

FWIW - your seating surface doesn't look particularly dirty or "grimey" to me. In fact it looks to be very clean and in excellent condition. The darkening of the leather over time is not unusual. You don't mention what year your car is, but ther's a good chance it's greater than 10 years old - once again, the seat is in great shape. I don't know if a "leather cleaner" type product is going to give you the kind of lightening you'd need to get back to the original color, but trying it can't hurt. There's a good chance that at least part of that darkening is due to leather cleaner/conditioner(s) products that were used by a previous owner. Even the "painted" leathers darken over time. The good news is that the only parts that don't match the rest are the parts that are hidden

2 answers to your 2 questions. Is it bollux and Are they bollux.

I have spent lots of money on products to clean, condition, and dye leather. I have found that meguiars apc diluted to 10:1 with distilled water does a great job of cleaning leather and bringing back the matt look. Work it in with an old tooth brush. I wouldnt exceed 20%apc. Most consumer auto products are not abrasive enough to really clean the leather. One product that i have found but not yet tried is leather doctor. It appears to be the real deal. Give it a look its 100$ for a kit. Good luck.

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That's because I haven't posted the worst parts! See below. And after ramping up my leather knowledge (I now know 10x more than last week - which means I now know 10x zero ... ), I am again concerned about whether this leather is OEM. Because Porsche natural leather is apparently aniline leather with a very thin, transparent coating. And aniline leather is died through. But if my leather is died through, how come all the wear and cracks aren't the same color as the surface? I suppose it could be the result of some cleaner or conditioner. Or it could be that this leather isn't aniline? Or is this actually normal? (P.S. No, I didn't let the leather deteriorate this far myself. I bought the seats intending to replace some panels, which I'm OK with, but now I'm wondering if these aren't OEM, which I'm less OK with.) (P.P.S., the 1st and second pictures are of the same spot with different light.)

Perhaps this number stamped on the inside provides some clue about whether these are OEM ...