The Auto Writer

Starting today, General Motors is rolling out its annual Red Tag Event, offering savings of up to $8500 on most 2008 and 2009 models. Expect other manufacturers to begin their calendar ending events earlier than ever before in a bid to gain more sales.

If you’re in the market for a new car, expect the remaining weeks of 2008 to offer to you some of the best deals in many years on your favorite car, minivan, crossover, SUV, truck or other passenger vehicle. Traditionally, auto manufacturers used the last four or five weeks of the year to help drive sales, but with passenger vehicle sales plunging, those year end events are already underway, at least for some companies.

Red Tag Extravaganza

General Motors typically starts its year-end Red Tag event in the middle of November, but this year the automaker is starting early, offering up to $8500 off of the sticker price on select 2008 and 2009 models. GM, which saw sales plunge for October 2008 by 45%, is eager to clear inventory and help its beleaguered dealer network move cars. Year to date, GM has seen its sales fall by about 20% which is about the average decrease across the industry.

Others Expected To Follow

Following GM’s lead, expect other auto retailers to roll out their year end discount programs. Some of the more popular ones of note include:

The Mercedes-Benz Winter Event — Low cost leases on some of your favorite vehicles. M-B usually starts their sale around November 25th.

Volkswagen Sign Then Drive Event — Already underway, VW has a habit of rolling out this event at different times of the year, but rolled out its most recent sale on October 10th.

Happy Honda Days – Honda’s annoyingly memorable month-long event is held in December, offering lease deals on many models. You get to see some of the goofiest “Christmas” commercials touting all things Honda.

Lincoln-Mercury Wishlist Event — Last year, Lincoln-Mercury held its sale from November 12-January 2, but expect that Ford Motor Company will move up its best sale of the year on the heels of GM’s announcement. In 2007 Ford offered discounts of $1000-$3500 on select models; this year will they top $5000 on the Navigator? The Ford Year-End Celebration offers similar savings for Ford brand vehicles.

Big Duh Holiday Sales Event — Hyundai loves this year end event and, according to market research, the annual Big Duh event is one that consumers remember the most. Thus, expect more Hyundai follies this year, probably sooner than last year.

Kiafest Year-End Sales Event — Like Hyundai, Kia offers a big year end blow out with an unforgettable commericial, one that the people over at Truck Trends begged Kia to end this past January.

Lexus December to Remember Sales Event — Wealthy Lexus gets into the year end swing by featuring cars that are found outside of a gift recipient’s home come Christmas morn with a big red bow around it. With Toyota Motor Company getting hammered this year (who isn’t) will we see our first year-end Lexus sale before our Thanksgiving turkey gets cold?

Toyotathon Phenomenon — Out of character, Toyota ran a big sale in October, offering zero percent financing on eleven models. That sale is still going on and will likely blend into a year-ending event like none other previously offered. Look for a similar marketing deal from Scion too.

Special Deals Galore

Other automakers will roll out their programs shortly too, giving consumers an opportunity for big savings especially if they are in a position to buy a new car. Your dealer may also be offering incentives on top of manufacturer savings so check each manufacturer’s website for those offers as well as regional savings too.