The radio talk show Car Talk used many funny fictional names. “Ok, another Car Talk fan. The Russian chauffeur is Pickup Andropov” was posted on the newsgroup rec.arts.bonsai on January 22, 2001. “If you want a lot more, listen to the credits of “Car Talk” on NPR. Two of my favorites are the PR guy, Haywood Jabuzzoff, and his chauffer, Pikup Andropov” was posted on the newsgroup rec.games.frp.misc on March 28, 2001.
The name has been used for a Russian Uber driver. “My last Uber driver was called Pikup Andropov” was posted on Twitter by Computer Commuter on August 31, 2014. “I hired a Russian Uber driver the other day… His name was Pikup Andropov” was posted on Twitter by The Dad Joke Man on February 5, 2019.
Wikipedia:
Car Talk is a Peabody Award-winning radio talk show that was broadcast weekly on NPR stations and elsewhere. Its subjects were automobiles and automotive repair, discussed often in a humorous way. It was hosted by brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi, known also as “Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers”.
The show was produced from 1977 to October 2012, when the Magliozzi brothers retired.
(...)
Following the real staff was a lengthy list of pun-filled fictional staffers and sponsors such as statistician Marge Innovera (“margin of error”), customer care representative Haywood Jabuzoff (“Hey, would ya buzz off”), meteorologist Claudio Vernight (“cloudy overnight”), optometric firm C. F. Eye Care (“see if I care”), Russian chauffeur Pikup Andropov (“pick up and drop off”), ...
Google Groups: rec.arts.bonsai
*** Other plant interest besides bonsai???
Craig Cowing
1/22/01
(...)
Ok, another Car Talk fan. The Russian chauffeur is Pickup Andropov, the Pain Management Advisor is Les Asprin, the Sexual Harrasment Consultant is Pat MeCan, the Staff Pollster is Paul Murky of Murky Research,...
Google Groups: rec.games.frp.misc
silly character names
Arne Jamtgaard
3/28/01
(...)
If you want a lot more, listen to the credits of “Car Talk” on NPR. Two of my favorites are the PR guy, Haywood Jabuzzoff, and his chauffer, Pikup Andropov.
Twitter
Steve Lubetkin
@podcaststeve
Replying to @The_other_Laura
@flygirl737700 limo driver Ivan Pikup Andropov…
10:18 PM - 23 May 2009
Twitter
Penndragon
@ThePennDragon
“Our Russian chaufeur is Piikup Andropov”... Damn it, Car Talk just made wordplay funny again.
3:58 AM - 17 Jan 2011
18 June 2012, Journal-Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN), “Shtick shift: Fans wistful at `Car Talk’ end” by Nathan Heller, pg. D6:
They write a syndicated newspaper column together, and the interstices of their show are filled with abstruse, university-town wit: the logic “puzzler”; the twee wordplay (Erasmus B. Dragon, Bud Tugly, Heywood Jabuzzoff, Pikup Andropov); the arch, ironic use of car-themed music.
28 October 2012, Honolulu (HI) Star-Advertiser, “John Berger on the Scene,” pg. G2, col. 1:
Punch was in character as Russian limo driver Pikup Andropov (say it loud).
Twitter
Computer Commuter
@thunk_life
Replying to @raganwald
@raganwald @tenderlove My last Uber driver was called Pikup Andropov.
10:55 PM - 31 Aug 2014
Twitter
D.J. Wagner, Jr.
@Cambridge250
Car Talk Russian Chauffeur Picov Andropov is now out of a job. I guess he could work for @Uber RIP Tom Magliozzi
7:55 PM - 3 Nov 2014
Reddit—Jokes
Posted by u/dukeChedda September 11, 2017
I hired a Russian chauffeur the other day…
his name was Pikup Andropov
Twitter
Fred Rose
@FredRoseAcara
Stolen/paraphrased from Car Talk - The Russian hacks have even infiltrated Uber - my Uber driver this morning was named Peekup Andropov. …
12:30 PM - 23 Feb 2018
Twitter
🤣 The Dad Joke Man 😉
@DadJokeMan
I hired a Russian Uber driver the other day…
His name was Pikup Andropov…
7:05 AM - 5 Feb 2019