Oh, Brother: 'Car Talk' Guy Puts Mouth in Gear

"Eventually the conversation rolls around to car problems, no matter where we are," says Ray, 56, who still works a few days a week at the brothers' Good News Garage in their hometown of Cambridge, Mass. Tom, who is 67 and semi-retired, dabbles in building picture frames, among other pursuits.

But Tom and Ray are essentially blue-collar wiseacres, albeit with degrees from MIT (Tom graduated in 1958 and Ray in 1972). "They are equal-opportunity quipsters," Lawhorn says in her ongoing disclaimer over Tom's Bush quip. "They pick on everybody."

Click and Clack's favorite everybodies include their callers, each other, their late mother (whom they have referred to on the air as a drunk and a criminal) and the nation's automakers. They once suggested on air that the Ford Festiva should come equipped with a funeral wreath. At breakfast yesterday, Tom Magliozzi characterized automobile executives with the epithet that he used to describe Bush.

Speaking of which, here comes another e-mail disclaimer from Lawhorn, the NPR spokeswoman: "Doug Berman says, 'We've never had a president Tommy liked.' "

Followed, two minutes later, by a phone call from Berman himself, emphasizing that the Magliozzis aren't really politically inclined and that it would be a shame if this story included Tom's unfortunate quote about the president. But in the event that it does, Ray wishes to distance himself from the sentiment.

Followed, a few minutes later, by a more formal statement from Ray Magliozzi, issued through Lawhorn.

"It is my policy to vehemently disagree with Tommy, no matter what the issue," the statement says.

Now that that's cleared up, we move on to something car-related. Like, what do Click and Clack drive themselves?

"We drive ourselves crazy," Tom says. Among others.