Tom Magliozzi, Car Talk co-host, dead at 77

Tom Magliozzi, co-host of popular NPR show Car Talk, has died at the age of 77 from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.


Along with his brother Ray, Tom hosted Car Talk for past 37 years. The show airs on NPR stations throughout the United States, usually on Saturday mornings.

Tom passed away on the morning of Monday, November 3.

According to the obituary on the Car Talk site, the popular show started purely by chance. Tom was asked to be one of a panel of six mechanics on WBUR, Boston’s NPR affiliate. Tom was the only mechanic who actually turned up, but his appearance impressed WBUR enough that they asked him back the next week.

This time he brought his brother Ray along and thus, in a way, Car Talk was born.

Despite the fact that the pair haven’t recorded any new shows since 2012, Car Talk is still one of the network’s highest rated programmes.