Former Lions RB Mel Farr dies at age 70

Locally, commercials featured Farr with a cape and action hero worthy scripts to go along with his catchy auto sale deals.

“He was a fun guy, honest guy, a loving guy”, Barney said. Farr owned several dealerships throughout Michigan, and the Midwest.

“I worked in an area called dealer development”, Farr said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press a few years ago.

His long association with Ford Motor Co. was rooted in his playing career with the Lions, who have been owned by the Ford family since January 1964. He also was unafraid to buy other dealerships, which was less common in the 1970s and 1980s.

The 1980’s proved to be a tumultuous decade for the auto industry and threatened the livelihood of Farr’s once profitable dealership.

A cause of death was not immediately confirmed. Around the same time, Farr came under fire for installing electronic devices that would render cars unusable if customers did not make payments.

But it also was that financing company – and Farr’s lending practices – that created trouble.

Farr, the 1967 NFL offensive rookie of the year, was a two-time Pro Bowl selection during his seven seasons with the Lions.

Eventually, Farr defaulted on a $36.5 million bond package granted by Wall Street investors in 2000, according to court records, and Ford withdrew its financial support.

Tune in to Local 4 News at 11 for a story on Farr. “He had good intentions…he was a pioneer”.