If you remember the onslaught of automotive ads from years past advertising “employee pricing,” prepare for round two. GM unveiled a new plan that sounds not-so-surprisingly old. All GM models will be featuring the employee discounted rates that helped transport units years ago. Jamie Lareau of Automotive News writes:

In a memo to Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers, GM said the sale would run Aug. 20 through Sept. 2. For the B-P-G channel, the employee pricing would apply to all 2008 models and the 2009 Pontiac Vibe. Customers could get up to $6,000 cash plus the employee discount.

The gimmick reminds me of an old story about Henry Ford. Legend has it that Ford paid his workers the exorbitant rate of $5 per day for the sole purpose of making his employees wealthy enough to purchase the very automobiles they were producing.

GM’s stock has been down over the last year and is in need of an economic boost. The company’s first move is apparently to attempt to drive up sales on vehicles which will likely fall out of production in the coming years. Thinking about it, GM does seem to be in the middle of an image overhaul. The brand most associated with Hummer and Escalade is looking to the future not only by attempting to purge itself of it’s current stock of gas guzzlers, but they have also been developing cars that will likely take the helm as their flagstaff vehicles: the Chevy Volt comes to mind. With any luck the GM pricing ploy will boost sales and keep the company on solid ground until the image change is complete.

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