The Best of Car Talk

Car Talk was a beloved radio show that entertained listeners for 35 years. And now, The Best of Car Talk podcast brings the show's most entertaining moments back on the air each week.

Despite the show's title, The Best of Car Talk isn't only for listeners who love automobiles. It's for anyone who enjoys a good joke and friendly banter between brothers. In each episode, hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi take calls from people who need car advice. Many need help diagnosing their car's problem. Some want help deciding whether to buy a specific make or model of car. And others are looking to talk through their complex at-home car repairs. Tom and Ray answer listener questions with a smile. They share their mechanical insights on everything from faulty airbags to car warranties.

Also known as "Click and Clack," Tom and Ray began broadcasting their advice in 1977. The show first ran on Boston's local public radio station, WBUR. After ten years on the air, Car Talk went national. From 1987 to 2012, the show aired weekly on NPR, entertaining audiences across the US.

One popular segment was The Puzzler. In this part of the show, Tom and Ray presented listeners with a hard-to-solve car issue. Each week, participants would send in their guesses. Tom and Ray would randomly select one of the correct submissions, and that person would win a $26 gift card to the Car Talk store.

Ray and Tom's humor and guidance didn't stick to only radio. The brothers also wrote an ongoing newspaper column and published a book. They also made TV appearances on shows like CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes, and The Today Show.

Ray and Tom hung up their headphones in 2012, and Tom passed away shortly after in 2014. But The Best of Car Talk show gives both new audiences and old fans a chance to keep enjoying this special show.