Ex-Lions great Farr dies at 70

DETROIT – Retired Detroit Lions running back Mel Farr, who also earned acclaim off the field as one of the nation’s biggest car dealers, died Monday afternoon at age 70, the Lions said late Monday, citing relatives.

A cause of death was not immediately confirmed.

Farr was the seventh overall pick out of UCLA by the Detroit Lions in 1967. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year and spent seven seasons as a running back for the Lions, earning trips to the Pro Bowl in 1967 and 1970. He finished his career with 739 carries for 3,072 yards and 26 touchdowns, along with 1,374 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

During his career, Farr became the all-time third-leading Lions rusher. His son, Mike Farr, also became a Detroit Lions wide receiver.

In 1974, he retired from football after being traded to Houston. The next year, Farr launched a new career, becoming a partner at Cook-Farr Ford in Oak Park; soon after he’d be known for his “Mel Farr Superstar” television ads with an announcer intoning at the start of the commercial: “Fighting high prices to bring you a Farr better deal.” He pitched the cars wearing a red cape and pretending to fly.

Within three years, Farr had assumed sole ownership of the dealership, and President Jimmy Carter cited him for “outstanding achievement” in business.

Farr soon co-founded the Black Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Dealers Association. In 1979, the “Mel Farr Superstar” ads debuted.

His stature continued in the 1980s, when he bought the Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Waterford and Toyota/Mazda/Volkswagen dealership in Bloomfield Hills.

Also during that decade, Farr created Triple M Financing Co., named after his three children — Mel Jr., Michael and Monet — to provide loans to credit-risky customers.

In 1984, he joined with Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH in accusing Ford of “racist” attitudes toward minority dealers.