Bob Rohrman, Famed Chicago Area Car Dealer, Dies At 87

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Bob Rohrman, the good-humored car dealer who lit up TV screens in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin for decades, has died.

The Lafayette Journal & Courier reports Rohrman died Tuesday night. He was 87.

The native of Lafayette, Indiana, had more than two dozen dealerships in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, and was known for his funny commercials that graced local TV stations over the years.

Rohrman once asked Lafayette Journal and Courier sports writer Jeff Washburn to write his biography, saying he just wanted a book about his life.

When Rohrman asked Washburn if he needed an advance, Washburn wasn't sure how much to ask for, so Rohrman pulled out a tattered old checkbook, and wrote a check for $20,000, saying he was worth millions.

As his own tagline put it "There's only one Bob Rohrman."