Win Tom's 1993 Mazda Miata

A special note for those of you in the Boston area or who are really desperate for a crummy car...

Car Talk owes its existence to WBUR. My brother Tom and I started there as volunteers in the 1970s, and it’s still a mystery why they allowed us to survive long enough to figure out how do a show.

While we goofed around for decades, the rest of the BUR staff worked really hard. So hard that they turned the station into Boston’s single most important source of news and information. And bad car advice.

You probably know that my brother passed away in 2014. The last car he owned was a 1993 Mazda Miata. It was an unusual choice for him. Not because it was a convertible, or because it hadn’t been washed since the Clinton Administration. It was unusual for him because it was a rare Tom-car that started every day. Suddenly, he had no excuse for missing work, like he had with his '52 MGTD, his ’63 Dodge Dart, his ’74 Chevy, etc., etc.

When my brother died, his son Alex inherited that Miata, and has driven it since. But now that WBUR is in a time of need, with the pandemic wreaking havoc on the economy and underwriting support, Alex has decided to encourage all of us who love WBUR to donate, and he's offering his Dad’s last car as a prize for one lucky listener. Second prize is two of his father’s old cars (kidding!).

We know you may not be a regular WBUR listener, but if you help WBUR now, you’ll not only help solidify an institution that’s crucial to all of us, but you might end up with a piece of history. And a significant amount of old dog hair.

This is a time when we all need to step up and help support our station. Will you join us? And make sure I don’t get stuck with another one of my brother’s cars?

Here’s how.

Thanks for reading,

Ray Magliozzi

PS. We happen to live near WBUR, but if you live elsewhere, don’t forget that YOUR station also needs your support right now, and you can either make a pledge or donate a car of your own … we'll take it, even if it doesn’t have the old car smell that my brother’s does.

PPS. Our lawyers reminded us to tell you that only donations to WBUR are eligible to win the car. But if you do donate to a local station, let us know! We'd love to send you a thank you note.