Public radio will get a little less funny this October. The stars of NPR's 'Car Talk', Tom and Ray Magliozzi, aka "Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers," have announced their imminent retirement on the show's website.
RAY: Hey, you guys. My brother has always said, “Don’t be afraid of work.”
TOM: Right. Make work afraid of YOU!
RAY: And he’s done such a good job at it, that work has avoided him all his life.
TOM: And with Car Talk celebrating its 25th anniversary on NPR this fall (35th year overall, including our local years at WBUR)…
RAY: …and my brother turning over the birthday odometer to 75, we’ve decided that it’s time to stop and smell the cappuccino.
TOM: So as of October, we’re not going to be recording any more new shows. That’s right, we’re retiring.
For 35 years, Click and Clack have entertained and educated, helping drivers deal with the the strangest of car troubles. NPR will continue to air editions of Car Talk in syndication, reediting new broadcasts from an archive boasting more than 1,200 recorded episodes.
Charlie Kravetz, the general manager of WBUR, where Car Talk is recorded, sent a message Friday to station members calling Tom and Ray "a national treasure."
"They taught us all about the broadest possibilities of providing wonderful entertainment that is funny, smart, self-deprecating and surprisingly wise," Kravetz said. He also noted that the episodes produced after October will pull from "years' worth of material yet to be aired."
One of the best parts of the show was listening to Tom and Ray cracking up at themselves. Here are a few classic clips.
