About the Show’s History

The Driving Line was a fast paced, caller driven, automotive repair talk show that began in 1991. It was always information-driven and entertainment-friendly. The Driving Line was a direct reflection of Ken’s eclectic personality and in the early years of the show Skeeter and Roscoe were born. Skeeter was the corn-ball comic and Roscoe the straight man. They added an unusual element that gave the show that “old-time radio” feeling. It was not unusual for Ken to be talking with a caller about a fuel injection system concern and wind up the conversation with a discussion on baseball, politics, music or any number of other unrelated topics such as gardening or a local charity.

Though the show was caller driven, Ken always remained in control. He accomplished this task by leading the callers to current or topical subjects, (otherwise he might be talking about 1973 AMC Pacer carburetors all day…boring). Ken did this by bringing the latest automotive news into program segments. News items could have been anything from what was the most likely car to be stolen to recall information or even real serious stuff like who earned the Darwin Award that year. Other elements that kept the show fresh included things like the Auto Nostalgia Quiz, special guest appearances, comical banter between Ken and the producer (or whoever happens to be in the studio), and most certainly the musical interludes in and out of commercial breaks. Ken’s musical library carried every thing from Johann Sebastian Bach to CCR and the Old Crow Medicine Show. All of this made for an entertaining and educational program. There was no better way to fritter away a couple of hours on a Saturday morning.

About the Host

Ken Gamble was born and reared in New Jersey (which explains a lot) and, as a teenager, took a job at a service station/garage learning the art of automotive repair under the tutorial of an able and quite patient master mechanic. As a young man in his twenties, Gamble moved to South Carolina in response to job opportunities and additional education. He quickly progressed from mechanic to managerial positions within a few years and in the fall of 1986 he struck out on his own. With no financial backing and little more than sheer determination and a set of tools, Gamble turned one old service station into one of the largest chains of independently owned automotive repair shops in the state in less then ten years. In 1991, he was invited as a guest on a local talk radio program to answer questions about automotive repair. The response by the listeners was overwhelming. Soon he was hosting a two hour Saturday morning talk radio program. The Driving Line was born. The show continued until the spring of 2012, a 22 year run. Currently Ken is answering questions, posting tips and entertaining videos, and music on Facebook. Here’s the link. You can reach Ken and ask your car care question any time. “The show is always on and the shop is always open on “The Driving Line” on Facebook.