Tom Magliozzi, co-host of NPR’s ‘Car Talk,’ dies at age 77

One of the hosts of National Public Radio’s popular “Car Talk” show has died.

The news organization said Tom Magliozzi died on Monday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 77 years old.

NPR said Magliozzi and his brother, Ray, graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, were Cambridge, Mass., auto mechanics when they began their talk radio show in the 1970s.

The duo dispensed humor and advice about repairing cars, gaining them a steady following on a local NPR station, WBUR, before the program became nationally broadcast starting in 1987.

NPR said the Magliozzi brothers have not taped a live show for two years, but the station has been airing old shows, something that Ray hopes the station will continue to do, in honor of his brother.

“He and his brother changed public broadcasting forever,” said Doug Berman, the brothers’ longtime producer. “Before Car Talk, NPR was formal, polite, cautious….even stiff. By being entirely themselves, without pretense, Tom and Ray single-handedly changed that, and showed that real people are far more interesting than canned radio announcers. And every interesting show that has come after them owes them a debt of gratitude.

Fans can listen to past shows here and share comments.

In a note to fans, Ray Magliozzi asked fans to leave messages in the guest book, which will be shared with Tom’s family and listeners. “In lieu of flowers, or rotten fish, I know that my brother would prefer that folks make a donation to their favorite public radio station in his memory.”

NPR said the Magliozzi brothers have not taped a live show for two years, but the station has been airing old shows, something that Ray hopes the station will continue to do, in honor of his brother.

This story was originally published November 3, 2014 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Tom Magliozzi, co-host of NPR’s ‘Car Talk,’ dies at age 77."