Reasons I Loved Car Talk


Car talk radio show

My roommate Riley introduced me to the Car Talk radio show. Now, this was before I ever even got to own my first car, but a few months after casual listening, I bought a 2002 Saab. It was great not only to be a car owner, but to also know a thing or two about cars. In fact, I bought this vehicle thanks to information learned on the Car Talk show. See, 2002 was the last year of production for Saab before GM bought them out, which means that the transmission on my little car was fantastic. I bought the car at a bargain thanks to Car Talk.

One of my favorite episodes of Car Talk featured a call from this guy named John in Houston. See, he was having trouble with his government vehicle. He appealed to his government credentials for secrecy, needing to withhold what kind of vehicle it was specifically, but he vaguely referred to it as “one of those rockwell things.” The Tappet brothers immediately knew something was up by the reference to rockwell, and asked if it was a space ship. Despite the protests of John, they realized that he was, in truth, John Grunsfeld, who at the time of the call was actually in space aboard his ship.

Sadly, car talk stopped production in October of 2012, though they still play reruns. When I learned about its imminent demise, I felt compelled to look up who all worked on it, and I was not disappointed by the Car talk credits. Apparently, they hire every one from an “ornithology intern” to an “Attorney General in charge of Tobacco Settlements” or even to a “Bean Counter.” I recommend checking out the list for a good laugh.

I love talk radio, and I duly miss that show. Thankfully, Car talk reruns are still available online and through iTunes. If you were interested in listening to the “Lost in Space” episode mentioned above, the show number was 9703. I still listen to the reruns, but I wish there were new episodes still.

Did anyone else used to listen in? What is your favorite moment from car talk?


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