The Thing About Cars

First, we answer a listener question about whether aviation fuel can be run in a car (don't do it!). Then we discuss our favourite cars in movies--don't crash your Ferrari through the garage wall, and don't drive your Lotus underwater! Dawn drives the decades right into the '90s and gives Ben a chance to critique some of the more interesting cars of that era. Grand Trivia Auto takes a look at foreign carmakers in the USA. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback...

Happy Pride! We record this show on the 50th anniversary of the first Pride Parade in Atlanta. We celebrate Pride Dave introduces us to the Lambda Car Club, the largest club for LGBTQ+ car enthusiasts in the country. Ben recounts his visit to the Worship Cruise In where he learned about the Cops-In-Cars Car Show at the Roswell City Hall. Misty recounts a great day for the Dutch in Formula One! What grinds Mickey's gears this week? The fact that all cars should be hybrid by now. And we learn...

Dean Case was a junior engineer at Mazda R&D when the Miata was developed. We discuss his career, the history of the Miata, and the connection to a Taco Bell Test Kitchen. (Bob Hall is the true father of the Miata.) In Cultural Collision, Misty wants to talk about Miatas in Film. (And who knew the Teletubbies drove a British Racing Green Miata?) Ben Takes a (Surreal) Moment to reflect on ice cream trucks. Should they play Helter Skelter? Dave and Misty debate launching Lobster Thermador and...

This week, Dave celebrates No Pants Day, Misty brings our Grand Trivia Auto question, and Ben introduces Paul Harmon, proud (2nd)owner of a Million (plus) Mile Mercedes 240D. Paul waxes poetic about his 4 cylinder, 4-speed manual transmission 1981 Mercedes 2401D, how many 240Ds were produced in Germany for the US market (480,000+!), buying a transmission just for one small gear, how many miles a year he’s averaged (40,000), and just how many oil changes it takes to get to a million...

Stephe Koontz joins us to discuss her long and varied history in the world of hot rod cars! I That New Car Smell, Ben digs into the impact of the computer ship shortage on automotive production lines. Misty's having an existential crisis over trading in Claudette, causing the panel to stage an intervention. In the News, Lotus is phasing out internal combustion engine. Should a sports car be called the ReVolt? The Little Car Company is bring out an 8/10th scale Wild One Max. And, Mark Rossin...

Our friends Mary & Libby Williams join us for a show exploring sibling rivalry and automotive death. Mickey explores Libby's passion for hats and addiction to paint. Mary discusses the artistic evolution of her Nissan Pioneer. The team discusses what makes a great convertible. In Relationship Roadster, Misty takes us through family history of her grandfather and his lover for an Opal Kadett. Dawn Drives the Decades to the 1960s via a 1963 Corvette Stingray. And, Mickey asks the question,...

Mary and Libby share tales of their worst car, a 1974 Austin Marina (aka Morris Marina). We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Loxley Brown joins us to talk about Athena Racing, a nonprofit dedicated to opening doors for young women into the transportation industry, we talk about Trivia Czars, favorite movies about cars, rescuing cars displayed without their consent, and Dave's probably possessed Jeep. First up is a straw poll on electing Tim as our Trivia Czar and how we all rode the struggle bus to either narrow down or fill a top 5 list of our favorite movies about cars. With Ben as the voice of reason, we all...

Our guest Brian Phillips tells us all about his cars, which he put more thought into names for than some people put into names for their children, and about what a thorough car-shopper he is. Dawn brings us up to speed (figuratively, thank goodness!) about new legislation against street-racing, but Brian's super-power derails the discussion. Parking grinds Mickey's gears, and our listener question drives home the need to get things checked-out before they get expensive. Be sure to park...

The TTAC Gang is taking a short break and could use your help finding new celebrities and guests to join us on the program. Plus, Amy tells us about the worst car she has ever known. She says "calling it a lemon would be saying something nice about it." We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s, joins us for some hard talk about road trips, the history of Stuckey’s, and how she’s trying to bring back the nostalgic magic of Stuckey’s while piloting a family-owned business into the future (by embracing EV, solar panels, hosting car swaps, using pecan shells for bioenergy and fertilizing, etc). Mickey gets schooled on why a peanut isn’t actually a nut while quizzing Stephanie on pecan trivia. Stephanie returns the favor by trying to stump us with...

Ross Robbins regales us with tales of utter madness driving his Lotus cars all over the USA: long distances, how to avoid breakdowns by carrying spare parts, why 'the car knows,' and how to make Hydraulic Cheese. Is the electric Microbus finally about to be real? We share a worst car story that's pretty hard to beat, and Grand Trivia Auto freezes us out. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Riki Rachtman joins the panel to talk about Nascar, his issues with driving a McLaren, his charity rides, his current wheels, and anything else that crosses his mind in a very special and very free-wheeling episode We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.

Our guest is Ferrari Market Letter editor Jim Weed, who tells us all about Ferraris and their owners, and how his old hippie-van led to a career working with Italy's most famous fast cars. Dave recalls being a pirate on the high seas and confesses a desire to name a hamster Civic, Mickey sleeps in an MR2 on the way to Hell, Dawn travels to Texas to meet Minnesotans but winds up with beer and corn chips, and you can't kill a LeBaron with fire! We welcome your support via Patreon and your...

We welcome Mike Pennington from Meguiar's to talk about innovation in car care. Mickey is star struck and may have actually confessed to trade show larceny. Ben explains that it will take more than Meguiar's to address some of the Yellotus's cosmetic issues. A brief discussion of idiosyncratic European car enthusiasts leads to a conversation of first cars. We explore the role of fragrance in car care products, although Dave's proposal for s'more scented car wax probably doesn't have a...

We welcome our new friend who's name may-or-may-not be Sohan to talk about his thoughts on EVs and the impact they will have on enthusiast motoring in the future. Dawn on the Autobahn tackles numerology in the world of cars and road-tripping, and Amanda has great advice for how to leverage OCD to detect credit card fraud. What's Grinding Mickey's Gears this week? (Besides his nun issues, that is.) Drivers who get indignant over horns honked in self defense. In listener mail, Robert Drake...

On Valentine's Day, we welcomed Mary Williams to discuss the role of the "art car" in Culture Collision, and her Nissan Frontier's evolution into an homage to Damian Hirst. Our friend Cathy Poley joins us to tell her worst car story, the death of a Chevy Caprice known as the Flying Nunmobile. Ben Takes a Moment to appreciate the humble snow plow. And we learn what was the reasoning behind the name "Olds 442." #artcarmuseum #grittertracker We welcome your support via Patreon and your...

We welcome Dan Greg, author of the Road Chose Me. In That New Car Smell, Ben talks about changes to the Lotus car line. Yellotus update: Ben may have solved the oil leak problem. Our guest Dan has driven the Pan American highway and circumnavigated Africa in a Jeep Wrangler! Dave has a serious schoolgirl crush on Dan, and thinks the Jeep build-out is serious engineering porn. In the News, Dawn and the panel chat about the accelerating move towards EVs at major auto manufacturers. Our friend...

Four wheel drive can get you going faster, but it won’t stop you any faster. Lee Anne joins in to tell us about Auburn University’s Autonomous Tiger Racing team and the quest to advance autonomous driving technologies. Mickey rants about the dubious need to carry your license and proof of insurance with you as you drive. Dave can fly a plane! Ben confesses he made a mad driver dash on a suspended license. Mickey’s dreams are crushed, but then they’re resurrected. Dave wants to discuss the...

Guest Robert Drake wants to talk more about the labeling of battery terminals, and asks "What is it about a Dodge Charger that makes some idiot think they're immune to traffic laws?" Mickey brings up a security question for keyless entry vehicles. Dawn is On The Autobahn. Her window is fixed, but the seatbelt is broken. And the CD changer is not doing well, either. Mickey grinds some gears and the words "nasal deployed meatball armature" get worked into the conversation. We welcome your...