I've never seen it either, but the Sahara was the "upscale" model, so I wouldn't be totally shocked. My first 2 TJs were Sports and the 3rd was a Rubi and none of them had it when new. Good luck finding it now though. Of course, when I got my current Sahara, it didn't even have front seat carpeting, and there was no sign of rocker panel carpeting ever being installed there.
my 99 Sahara has it. Apparently I never take photos of the interior but I found this one from the original internet listing that shows it on the passenger side.
My 05 didn't have it, but it wasn't a Sahara either. I always assumed all early TJ's had it and they got rid of it later on to save cost. It definitely contributes to a more finished feel to the interior.
I took your advice and ordered a set of these in Mist Gray for my 1998 Wrangler Sport from Quadratec. (The box actually calls the color "Opal.") My Jeep is loaded and has full carpeting, and I always felt it was odd that there wasn't any carpet on the rocker panels. The color is a good match, and both pieces fit well. I generally don't like aftermarket pieces, but these look like they belong there. Here are pictures of both sides installed:
I took your advice and ordered a set of these in Mist Gray for my 1998 Wrangler Sport from Quadratec. (The box actually calls the color "Opal.") My Jeep is loaded and has full carpeting, and I always felt it was odd that there wasn't any carpet on the rocker panels. The color is a good match, and both pieces fit well. I generally don't like aftermarket pieces, but these look like they belong there. Here are pictures of these installed: