I learned about them from a farmer. We had purchased a 20 acre farm, and had to cut the pasture. Bought an old Case 530D and put that thing to work in front of a 6 foot bushhog. Then I needed to start commuting 100 miles a day, so I bought my diesel Rabbit pickup (and the first wife didn't want "her" pickup dirty with car parts). I admired Mercedes diesels, and flirted with buying a few, but only much later (with a more tolerant second wife) bought her a 300D to replace a throw-away old Dodge, then myself a 240D stick.
Then I was hooked.

Rick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)