Chicagoland Car Dealer Bob Rohrman Dies

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - The proprietor of a car dealership empire and an icon of suburban Chicagoland has died.

Bob Rohrman, who became a household name in the Chicago suburbs due to his catchy television ads, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87. Rohrman passed away at his Schaumburg home, according to a statement from a close family friend.

The Bob Rohrman Auto Group became widely known through a series of television ad campaigns, often featuring the namesake's booming voice. Rohrman often dressed up as characters from movies, pop culture and tropes from various holidays. Starting with just one dealership in Lafayette, Indiana in 1963, the magnate's car dealing empire quickly grew to have a stranglehold on the Chicagoland area.

Soon, the group started expanding beyond Chicago, and began branching into different states. The auto group now has over thirty different franchises, including shops in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Lafayette in Indiana, and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The auto group offers a wide variety of cars at its dealerships. These include mid tier automobiles like Toyota, Hyundai and Honda to more high end cars such as Lincoln and Lexus.

Rohrman left an indelible mark on both the auto industry and the Midwest as a whole, with his dealership's lion logo and catchphrase, "there's only one!" becoming iconic lexicon among Chicagoland residents. He was a graduate of Purdue University, and in 2019, the school announced that they would be renaming their main football field to Rohrman Field in honor of his numerous donations to Purdue.

In a statement put out by the university, Purdue president Mitch Daniels said that Rohrman's "philanthropic spirit and generous support have made an immeasurable impact on our community and will not soon be forgotten."

Details of Rohrman's funeral service have not been released.