50k-Mile 1985 Mercedes 300D Turbo: When Diesel Meant Something
Original owner kept this W123-generation 300D until recently—50k miles on the clock, Champagne Metallic over Palomino MB-Tex, all numbers matching. The 3.0-liter turbodiesel five-cylinder and four-speed auto make it about as thrilling as a ledger, but that's exactly why it's survived this long while turbo petrols imploded.
The 300D Turbo is what happens when Mercedes engineers treated diesel like a legitimate powertrain instead of a marketing angle—it's appreciation waiting to happen while everyone's distracted by air-cooled Porsches.
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