PODCAST · society
The Thing About Cars
by Mickey Desai
We're just people who really geek out on cars. We like to drive cars, fix them, and admire them. We're here to have as much fun as we legally can with other car enthusiasts. Come along for the ride.
Episodes
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Mustang Unbridled, with Robert Kennedy
The Thing About Cars hosts Robert M. Kennedy, a lifelong Mustang enthusiast and author of the comprehensive automotive history Mustang Unbridled. The conversation covers Mustang history from its 1962 concept origins through the modern S650 generation, Kennedy's research methodology, surprising...
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Rant and Rave With Jack From Number 27!
TTAC welcomes Jack from the YouTube channel Number 27 to the table today! Ben's a huge fan of Number 27 so he has trouble restraining himself talking with one of his heroes, while Dave is titillated by Jack's accent. Jack tells us about how his channel has changed over time and grown to become a...
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Scary Sights on the Road
In this episode, the TTAC crew shares some of the scariest things they've encountered while driving at night, including a large sheet of plywood that nearly crashed into Dave's car, a mysterious "factory from hell" that turned out to be the Dallas Cowboys stadium, and Ben's harrowing experience...
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Curating Car Culture: Inside the Peterson Automotive Museum with Autumn
Join hosts Mickey, Ben, Dave, and Tim as they chat with Autumn, Associate Curator at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Discover what makes the Peterson one of the world’s most respected car museums, from its legendary lowrider exhibits to the hidden treasures in its vault. Autumn...
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Dawn's New Hyundai Santa Fe, AAA Woes, and Trivia Fails
In this lively episode of The Thing About Cars, the gang reunites with Dawn, who unveils her brand-new 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy. She shares her excitement about its retro design, dual sunroofs, Bose speakers, UV phone sanitizer, and even a hidden compartment perfect for valuables (or a...
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Building Engineers, Not Just Diplomas: Kettering’s Revolution with Dr. Bob McMahan
In this deeply insightful and inspiring episode of The Thing About Cars, we welcome Dr. Bob McMahan, President of Kettering University—a revolutionary institution turning higher education on its head with a one-of-a-kind co-op model that combines rigorous academics with real-world engineering...
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Bollards, Breakups, and the Battle for F1: Hamilton’s Ferrari Move & Andretti’s Snub
In this hilariously sharp and candid episode of The Thing About Cars, Mickey and the gang unpack some seismic shifts in the world of Formula One. Is Lewis Hamilton really leaving Mercedes for Ferrari? Why did the FIA reject Andretti Global’s bid to become the 11th F1 team—and is there a whiff of...
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Alison's Adventures in Motorsports
**The TTAC Crew get to talk with Alison Hill, an SCCA participant and instructor, to discuss motorsports, racing, and SCCA events and culture. ** We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website.
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Furby of Baked Beans & Formula 1 Firestorms: Racing, Rage, and Road Atlanta
In this chaotic yet charming episode of The Thing About Cars, the gang checks in on everything from F1 drama to baked bean Furby rage. Mickey's trying to push out two episodes a week to catch up the podcast backlog (and avoid being haunted by guests), while Misty brings updates from the Dutch job...
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Hanging With Hot-Rod Granny Annie
This episode of The Thing About Cars features Annie Koehler, affectionately known as the "Hot-Rod Granny Annie." Annie shares her incredible journey from owning nearly 100 cars to driving dump trucks professionally, and now competing—and winning—in burnout contests well into her 80s. She tells us...
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Hope for The Desoto
Hope has a 1958 Desoto Firesweep that she bought in 2009. We find out what are the joys and troubles of owning a car from a brand that has been defunct for many decades. Hope lets us know where you may have seen her car before, if some of the work that it requires, currently allows it to be…
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Inside the Harley-Davidson Museum with David Kreidler
We welcome David Kreidler, Senior Exhibits Curator for the Harley-Davidson Museum. Ben takes over for Tim with the trivia question, and our guest has his own trivia question too! We learn all about what goes into creating exhibits that reflect the history of Harley-Davidson and broader related...
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All Things AMC with Tom Glatch
We welcome Tom Glatch to the table to discuss his book about American Motors Corporation, better known as AMC. AMC only lasted 34 years but it's a fascinating story full of interesting engineering accomplishments and business decisions. Nashes and Ramblers and Gremlins, oh my! You'll see AMC in a...
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Livin' the Dream with Tom Glatch
We welcome writer/photographer Tom Glatch, author of Dodge & Plymouth Muscle Cars and Mopar fan since childhood. Mickey thinks his dream-car is in the book. Misty is mourning fallen bollards. Ben confesses driving 100 MPH in his dad's beat-up Plymouth but luckily the statute of limitations has…
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Riding in the Front Seat with Indy Saini
Film-maker Indy Saini joins us to tell us all about her film Women In The Front Seat, which is about a diverse group of women motorcyclists. They're all different, their bikes are different, their styles of riding are different- but they share the common bond of going places on two wheels. More...
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Brian's Mazda and Misty's Wombat
Our guest Brian Phillips and his uniquely named car tells us how he turned a traffic accident into getting a nicer car with an even more unique name via some friendly dealings with a pre-loved vehicle purveyor. We ponder the longevity of cars with cylinder deactivation. Misty and Tim talk about…
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Don't eat the ham and cheese in France!
We're flying without a guest or a plan in this previously un-released vintage episode. Dave is befuddled, Misty is stabby, and Tim is racy! Ben had to miss this one and it's a damn shame because his father worked with the criminally insane and owned a pair of Alfa Romeos, both of which get...
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Life's Too Short To Drive A Boring Car
We welcome Rebecca Vollman to the table to learn all about her adventures in engineering! It's a fascinating tale based on the idea that life's too short to drive a boring car and she shares a lot of wisdom learned from seeing the automotive industry from the inside. Tim dials 911 for the trivia...
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Talking EVs with Gaby Pierre at the Georgia Automotive Manufacturer's Association
Mickey gets to visit a meeting of the Georgia Automotive Manufacturer's Association (GAMA) and do some live recording on site. It was a wonderful experience. Mickey interviews Gaby Pierre, Strategy Lead and Senior Fellow of GNEM (Georgia Network for Electric Mobility), a think-tank housed at the...
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We're Grinding Our Gears Again
Dave is surprisingly mellow and Misty wonders why there are bells. Mickey has got a little list. Misty is steamed at Europe's left-lane bandits, and wonders if US drivers are driving plaid. Whose Schwartz is bigger? Dave's singing voice is unequaled! Ben is annoyed at the poor quality of US...
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Racing Fun with Dystany Spurlock
We welcome motorsports goddess Dystany Spurlock to the table, one of the fastest women on two wheels! She does some cool things on four wheels too, and we really enjoyed the conversation- she's so much fun! Her enthusiasm for motorsports is wonderfully contagious, so tune-in and enjoy the ride!...
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Gettin' Vintage with Paul D'Orleans
We're all in good form as we welcome Paul D'Orleans to the table to discuss all the things that turn his crank. He's into cars and motorcycles but mostly motorcycles, and has become a top-notch impresario for curated content relating to motorcycle history and culture, as well as being a really…
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Too Drunk To Shift Gears
Misty is walking like an Egyptian away from Tim's Pharoah joke, and due to a guest who canceled we tackle other topics. We start out serious with the idea of putting anti-impaired driving interlocks in all cars but then we lighten it up with switching gears (not easy in Dawn's Mercedes,...
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Formula SAE: Learn to Be Race Team Member
Do All Engineers Have Talking Frogs? The gang interviews Steven Tubbs from Kennesaw University's Formula SAE Team, a co-ed team of students who secure funding for, engineer, design, build, and race a small formula style car in intercollegiate competition. We find out what roles there are for team...
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Don't Ride Alabama Style with a Carolina Squat
F.I., F1, and tires, tyres, tires! In this episode, we find out why tires used to be white and why restaurants have Michelin stars. In other tire topics, Tim remembers the F1 tire wars of the early 2000's and how it led to the US Farce 1 GP of 2005. We contemplate the long lead times of getting...
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Viva Italiano!
Mickey cleans out his inbox of random topics that he's collected over the last couple of weeks. In this week's TTAC, Tim starts the show with an intriguing Italian trivia question. Ben digs into how car drivers are revving up inflation. Not enough men prioritize stimulating Dave, and "dicknugget"...
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Greg Hinze's MG Midget Adventure
There is no more Georgia story than "I went to buy a tractor, and brought home a car." After a strange discussion of supply deliveries to a brothel in Amsterdam, we welcome back our old friend Greg Hinze to discuss rehabilitating his MG Midget. We leverage Misty's knowledge of rehabilitating…
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Cars give me cognitive issues!
Mickey confesses Ford-lust, but it wasn't enough to entice our guest to show up. Misty shifts wet noodles trying to haul a loom across The Netherlands and learns what we all knew already: she won't like any car as much as her MX-5. Cognitive issues going from one car to another has Ben using his...
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Please Steal Mickey's Car
Tim tells us more than we need to know about brakes, and Dave reveals why Italian cars got him a restraining order. Mickey wants to impulse-buy a car, and Misty thinks he's over-thinking it. Should he buy an El Camino? We hope The Muppets don't sue us! We welcome your support via Patreon and your...
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I Kept The Car
We get off to a depraved start with a quick discussion of non-automotive products from automotive companies, such as magic wands and earth-movers. We're also happy to announce that VW have brought back their currywurst! Mickey is planning to go car-shopping and the list of things to look at is...
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Drive Like a Gazelle
We meet Susanne, who has recently competed in the 2023 Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles. This is an ISO 14001 certified rally raid in which all of the drivers and navigators are women. They compete to drive on or off-road to multiple way points each day in the shortest distance possible, without using...
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Club Athena at Indy
Loxley Brown returns and almost makes Dave go straight! Some of the girls from Club Athena regales us with her experiences at Indy in the DHL-sponsored experience that Loxley announced a couple of episodes ago. Too many interesting moments to detail in a short description, so enjoy! We welcome…
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24 Hours of Lemons with Mick Opalak
Mick Opalak tells us about his experiences driving in the 24 Hours of Lemons, which is probably the mostest funnest racing series EVER! Misty enjoys a sausage-fest and Dave calls Human Resources about it. Tall tales abound, as does the spirit of camaraderie! Wanna be a race driver but don't have...
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Mangling Bollards At An F1 Race
Misty isn't moist but Tim is damp. A chinese EV-prototype is built on the last remnants of Saab's engineering and we're OK with talking about unsprung mass. Misty updates us about what's going on in F1, including the latest indignity suffered by Phil the bollard, female progress in F3, and Danica...
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Big News with With Loxley Brown
Dave is abnormally normal, Mickey and Misty have power washer issues, and Ben may have had a close encounter with an airbag. Loxley Brown joins us to share all the news about the big things happening with Athena Racing, but not without giving Dawn an awkward moment of silence. Loxley's big news…
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I Am No Longer Infected
We welcome Bob Hall back to the show! Misty is knitting a gay blanket, and Tim gets us going with a very technical trivia question about a fictional car. Bob has lots of interesting perspectives about product planning and new vehicular technologies while Misty has a moment about her MX-5, Dave's...
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Lookin' at Corvettes with Richard Prince
We speak with professional photographer and author Richard Prince about how he turned his love for cars into a career. His new book - Corvette 70 Years: The One and Only - covers all 8 generations of America's first sports car and he talks to us about how his passion for Corvettes started, his...
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Can You Import a Car As An Individual?
Keis, Corvettes and Cappuccinos We discuss what it takes to bring in a car to the USA that is not already sold here by the manufacturer. What if you want to bring in that Lada, Nissan Skyline, Porsche 959, Honda Acty or Suzuki Cappuccino into the the USA? Is it better to order up a new one, get a...
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Undiscovered Classics
Cars from the 1950's and 60's that you've probably never heard of. Do you think you know about classic cars? What about rare cars? Some car buffs might recognize the brands Frazier or Devin but mention "Grantham" and they might think you are talking about Downton Abbey. What about Allied…
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Happy Dawnukkah with Dan Plan!
Dan Plan from the Midwest Racing Connection, an expert on short track racing, visits the gang on Dawn's birthday and sees us at our befuddled best. Dawn relives her 21st birthday. Misty's new nickname is "Racing Nugget." We start a conspiracy theory that JFK was killed by Mr. Bean. Phil the…
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Le Mans, Mazdas, HyperMilers, Mickey & Mayhem
We apologize in advance for our our kitchen apparel fashion tips. With a three of our crew missing, the remaining cast members try to channel our missing mates (seance not included.) We discuss the action and results of the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race, which leads to creating The…
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Road Trips with Derek
Ben's buddy Derek tells us about his road trips around the world. Namibia! West Africa! Kazakhstan! Connecticut! What do they have in common? You can find warm Coca-Cola everywhere in the world! We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback via our website. This podcast is...
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The Mistyry Box
On FI, Fuel Economy and Wafflehomes! Misty gets a surprise shipment from the states! The panel digs deep into the global socio-political implications on the "girlificiation of F1." Ben tees up a discussion on the closing of environmental loopholes for vehicles over 4,000 pounds. Ben teaches us…
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Please Don't Drool On The Maserati
Nobody here but us cheeckens with Micky away on the west coast. Misty is still moist, Dave drives the Grand Trivia Auto, and Ben pretends to know how to host a podcast. Tim staggers in late as we discuss how to get us all over to Paris for the big international hot-dang auto show next year. Those...
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Let's Blame Misty for the Moist Peanut-Cheese
Misty sets a new record for getting to moist, our guest is a no-show, and Dave sheds some light on J.D. Power. We explore our peanut-fetish before moving on to some listener questions, but the peanut-cheese just won't go away. We welcome your support via Patreon and your questions and feedback…
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It's a One-Butt Kitchen
Mickey is going to send Misty a mystery-box and also announces that he's purchased a house that will eventually have his dream-garage, and we're all waiting for the garage-warming party! Yelotus makes its first car-show appearance. Dawn wants to know if a fuel-additive that promises to make a car...
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DHL Express and Club Athena Partner for “Girls at Track”
Loxley Browne of Club Athena makes a quick visit to talk about a special event in partnership with DHL and Andretti Autosport. Seven dedicated “Athenians” will be chosen to spend two days trackside with Andretti and DHL Express team members as they learn from industry experts and have fun with...
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High on Vettiquette
Our guest no-shows, so the panel goes on a corvette-conversational-out-of-body experience. Where did the GM "bow tie" logo come from? When was the first Corvette produced? What cities are home to Corvette assembly facilities? What city is the home to the most Corvettes? Mickey, Dawn, Misty, Ben…
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Misty's Miata Madness
Misty's in a mood; can she get a new MX-5 or upgrade her existing one before she "meets Sarah?" (Plus a secret message in Dutch.) What have cars been used for other than transportation and sport? If you were forced to drive a fast Ford for four hours in a traffic jam, which would it be? Some...
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Formula SAE racing with Dean Case
Returning guest Dean Case tells us about his involvement with the Society of Automotive Engineers' student programs including racing. If you or someone you know is interested in a career in automotive engineering, you should listen to this. Tim searches for Sasquatch but finds a Fratzog instead.…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We're just people who really geek out on cars. We like to drive cars, fix them, and admire them. We're here to have as much fun as we legally can with other car enthusiasts. Come along for the ride.
HOSTED BY
Mickey Desai
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Thing About Cars have?
The Thing About Cars currently has 259 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Thing About Cars about?
We're just people who really geek out on cars. We like to drive cars, fix them, and admire them. We're here to have as much fun as we legally can with other car enthusiasts. Come along for the ride.
How often does The Thing About Cars release new episodes?
The Thing About Cars publishes regularly with 259 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Thing About Cars?
You can listen to The Thing About Cars on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Thing About Cars?
The Thing About Cars is created and hosted by Mickey Desai.
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