Yes, folks, "that's the way it was..."
An "address list" wasn't a database file, or spreadsheet file occupying some virtual space on a computer. It was drawers upon drawers of these Addressograph plates, each plate further mounted to a larger plate, and stored in these drawers and cabinets not unlike a library's [old-school] card catalog.
Imprinting didn't take all that massive equipment Rodd pointed out, but something no bigger than a credit card imprinter. It wasn't all that long ago that any credit card transaction was a manual process. First look up the card number in a book published weekly and distributed to all places that took credit cards. Then put the card in the imprinter, pull out a multi-part carbon paper based form, stick it in the imprinter, and manually swipe the roller to imprint the card. One part stayed with the store, one part went to the customer, and one to the bank processing the payments.
At the time dealers were using these plates and imprinters, they also had typewriters, spirit duplicators, mimeograph machines, thermofax thermal copiers, photocopy machines, adding machines, manual calculators, fax machines...some had TWX and Telex machines and a host of other now long obsolete office equipment. When email came, some probably got a dial up internet service with a 33 or 56k modem.
Calling the eBay item "an original data plate" is a stretch. It's probably of no more value than any old license plate. However if you did indeed own that car with that VIN, maybe it would be a curiosity item. Since the seller is in Spain, it's likely the car ended up in Europe as well.
