Click & Clack:We've decided that it's time to stop and smell the cappuccino,"

'Car Talk' hosts retiring from hit show

By Todd Leopold, CNN

updated 6:06 PM EDT, Fri June 8, 2012

Ray (left) and Tom Magliozzi of NPR's "Car Talk."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Popular radio show's hosts will retire in October
• Shows will continue with archival material; website column will go on as well
• The show debuted on Boston radio in 1977 and moved to NPR 10 years later

(CNN) -- Click and Clack won't be making noise on "Car Talk" for much longer.

On Friday, hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi, known as "Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers," announced that they would be retiring from the popular NPR program in October.

"We've decided that it's time to stop and smell the cappuccino," Raywrote on the show's website.

"As of October, we're not going to be recording any more new shows. That's right, we're retiring," Tom added, noting that "Car Talk" is celebrating its 25th anniversary on NPR this year.

However, fans will still be able to enjoy the show after the brothers' retirement. New "Car Talks" will be assembled from archival material, the brothers wrote.

They'll also continue their regular website column.

"Car Talk" debuted in 1977 on Boston radio station WBUR and was picked up by NPR 10 years later. It regularly ranks as one of public radio's most popular shows -- including the most popular weekend program -- with about 4 million listeners.

The show consists of the two brothers, who own a Cambridge, Massachusetts ("our fair city," as they've long called their home), garage, taking calls from listeners about their automobile -- and sometimes relationship -- problems. The two regularly insult one another, make each other laugh and force listeners to re-create the sounds of their car ailments on the air.

The program has inspired two TV shows -- one of them, "The George Wendt Show," ran for one season on CBS -- and at least two books.