Well then, get excited and get it into Norm, that is the 617 Turbo. I really love mine and after driving my 85 about 5 years with the automatic, I really feel the same way, why didn't they sell this set up. I think Mercedes felt it was just a little rough on the edge for the new Mercedes buyer in the 80's. There thinking these are sedans, luxury sedans and a few coupes and in the US everybody is driving automatics. So they were looking at it from a completely different perspective then we are looking at it. Fuel was pretty cheap in the 80's and the diesels were already at the top of the mileage makers pile. They weren't going to screw that up with a 4 speed transmission - well except for the guy who wanted their lowest cost car, a 240D. And that's the way it went, 100 percent automatics except maybe 10 to 20 percent of manual transmissions in the 240D. But I will say, I really love mine!

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Junqueyardjim
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. C.S. Lewis



1983 Mercedes W123 240D 4 Speed 285,000 on the road with a 617 turbo, beautiful butter yellow, license plate # 83 240D INDIANA

2003 Jaguar Type X, AWD. beautiful, good mileage,
Mom's car, but I won't let her drive it!