Hard to remember, it`s such a long time back, now.
I know i tried an early demo - I was hunting cargame demos, to test. I found Lfs and tried it out - I had only keyboard then. Then some time after this, my brother bougth himselg a tiny pc, and he really was into car sims. I did my best to keep his computer running, and I saw the most of the sims out there. Tried a lot of them, but was never caugth by the action. It didn`t feel real, driving those "car games".
I then remembered the Lfs simulator demo, and searched for it, and installed it again. The devs must have improved it, because now it was a total different thing, to drive the cars around. I was a little impressed with the way the car handled. So I started up, driving a lot with keyboard, and then my brother bougth himself a new wheel. I borrowed the old, and really got out on the demo tracks.
I drove on and off for a few months, and then i decided to buy S1. I remembered that I was a little angry with the "gather points" to release next car, but I had to live with it, and I did so. I kept telling my brother about this Lfs and brougth him the demo. He didn`t like it, in the start. "This is to hard" he said, but he was used to the "cargames" - Now he is a believer and he drives the shit out of me. I can`t keep up with him, yet !
Then S2 came out and the rest is not so interesting.
I don`t know how old the early demoes are, but I feel like I saw the first for about 4 years ago ? Could that be ?