One of the best sales in recent automotive history is coming back.

It's been an incredibly weak sales year in the auto industry.  But most automakers, reluctant to cut into what little profit they are making, have not yet initiated incredible sales or incentive deals to lure buyers back to showrooms.  All eight General Motors brands, however, will bring back one of their most successful incentives beginning today: employee pricing for everyone.

Autoblog explains, "The employee discount program will apply across all 8 GM brands. Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers will mark down 91 percent of their inventory on all 2008 models, along with the 2009 Pontiac Vibe and G5, Chevy Cobalt and HHR and, surprisingly, the Cadillac CTS. Chevrolet dealers can unload 90 percent of their 2008 inventory with all 2008 models eligible for the employee price. Cadillac, Saturn, SAAB, Hummer will each have their own stipulations as well, but it is certain that the discount will be widespread."

The exact discount varies dependent on the vehicle, but the AP notes, "Employee discounts generally are 10 percent below the invoice price."  On some GM vehicles -- particularly large trucks and SUVs -- additional rebates and incentives will further lower prices.

USA Today gives a few examples: "Buyers for the Chevy Silverado will get $5,000 back in addition to the $3,000 employee discount, while incentives total $10,000 for the Chevy Tahoe SUV," according to a "dealer briefed on the new discounts."

The last time GM offered a similar discount program, in the summer of 2005, the incentive brought many buyers into showrooms.  The AP reports that the offer increased GM's "June [2005] U.S. sales 41 percent, July sales 19 percent and prompting both Ford Motor Co. and then-DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group to unveil their own employee-pricing plans."  GM spokesperson John McDonald, however, told the AP "I don't think everyone will have the expectation that it will achieve those kind of levels because the market is very different now." 

The sale runs through September 2, according to the Detroit Free Press.  GM is calling this year's program "the 100th Anniversary Sales Event, in honor of the automaker's upcoming Sept. 16 centennial."

CNN Money comments, "Employee pricing may not save customers much more than other incentive programs, but it does lead to de facto "no haggle" pricing, which has been very popular with buyers in the past."

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