Tom Magliozzi, famous voice of NPR’s ‘Car Talk,’ dies at 77

Tom Magliozzi, better known as part of “Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers” duo on NPR’s popular “Car Talk”, died on Monday due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 77 years old.

Tom and his younger brother Ray hosted “Car Talk” for more than 25 years from WBUR in Boston, Massachusetts. Both MIT graduates, the brothers opened a do-it-yourself garage called Hacker Heaven in Cambridge in 1973.

Their big break in radio came a few years later when WBUR was putting together a panel of auto mechanics in 1977. The show’s producers called Ray, and he sent his brother Tom in his place. Tom was the only guest to show up. They became regular contributors, and soon got their own show on the station. In 1987, “Car Talk” went national on NPR.

The show stopped broadcasting new episodes in October 2012 when the brothers decided to retire. At that point, the show was drawing 4 million listeners a week.

Former WBUR news director and longtime “Car Talk” producer Doug Berman told NPR that the Magliozzi brothers knew what they were talking about when it came to cars, but listeners were drawn to the hosts’ personalities. With thick Boston accents, they answered questions about getting the smell of dead animals out of an engine, weird noises and car malfunctions and posed weekly brain-teasers for their audience. Tom was known for his booming laugh and mischievous, teasing mind, Berman says.

“I think it has very little to do with cars. It’s the guys’ personalities. And Tom especially — really a genius. With a great, facile mind. And he’s mischievous. He likes to prod people into honesty.”

The bond between Tom and Ray was genuine, Berman says. Ray was 12 years younger than Tom, and the brothers really loved working together.

“For Ray, he idolized Tom. This is the guy who introduced him to everything in life, and Tom liked having his little brother around,” Berman told NPR. “He liked the guy. So when they grew up they were really, really great friends.”

Ray has asked NPR to continue airing archived episodes of the show in his brother’s memory.