Police were called after the man's car pulled over several lanes at junction 31 at around 4.30pm on Sunday November 19.
It is believed the 81-year-old, who is from the local area, suffered a cardiac arrest while driving.
A spokesman for the police said: "We received calls after a car pulled across traffic on the M6 and went into the central reservation.
"It did not collide with any other cars.
"We put on a road block while emergency services transferred the man to hospital.
"The man sadly died.
"His family have been informed."
The motorway was closed for several hours while emergency services dealt with the incident.