Autoblog

Joining Denny's, Dunkin' Donuts and Dairy Queen, Dodge has rolled out its version of a discount for the geriatric among us. While the aforementioned restaurants will cut prices for anyone generally over the age of 50, Dodge is seeking card-carrying AARP members (it's $12.50 per year, in case you need to join). Presenting a valid AARP card at the time of sale will get you "Employee Pricing" (or better) on all 2008 and 2009 Dodge vehicles except the Sprinter, Challenger, and Viper SRT 10 ACR models. According to the fine print, the program isn't compatible with other national incentives and it expires (the incentive program, not Chrysler LLC) on January 2, 2009. There's also a $200 fee just to be eligible for the offer, which our penny-pinching parents aren't going to like one bit. Thanks for the tip, MarkWeb!

[Source: Dodge, Photo by taberandrew | CC2.0]

General Motors ended its Employee Discount for Everyone bonanza at the beginning of October, but it shouldn't be too hard to get a GM vehicle for the price employees pay thanks to a new initiative meant to goose the automaker's sales during this downturn. As it's done a few times in the past, GM is allowing each of its workers to bestow the gift of employee pricing to two additional persons of their choice. With sales painfully low, this move should come as a surprise to no one. Plus, these tactics work, to a degree, as the General's sales figures were actually a few percentage points better than its rivals during September when the Employee Discount for Everyone promotion was in full effect. With that in mind, you can still get a good deal on a GM vehicle just by asking around.

[Source: The Detroit News]

While comparing Porsche to General Motors is beyond a stretch, we couldn't help but think about last week's UAW strike against the General while reading about Porsche giving away $7,350 in bonuses to over 8,000 full-time employees. Must be nice to be part of a profitable automaker – even if it's from sales of the Cayenne.

The automaker hailing from Stuttgart sold 97,515 cars during its fiscal year, ending on July 31. Those sales rose over the same period by 3.4-percent, bringing total income to $10.5 billion for the year. When the accountants finally get done doing the math, it's expected that Porsche will make a pretax profit that's considerably more than the approximately $3 billion it made last year. Good news for everyone involved, and it's certainly nice to see an automaker passing along the profits to its workers.

[Source: IHT]

Ford is expanding its employee discount program in an effort to boost domestic sales by labeling its workers as "sales ambassadors" and providing them with five additional discount PINs that reduce the price of any new model manufactured by FoMoCo.

Previously, employees were provided with eight numbers to pass out to friends, family and anyone else the employee deemed worthy. That number has now grown to 13 in a campaign the Blue Oval is dubbing "Pindemonium." Additionally, the more you give away, the more perks you receive, including chances to win gasoline gift cards that you can then hand over to your bro who just bought an F350.

[Source: Freep]

We must confess that, from time to time, many of us drift into daydreams and wonder what it must be like to work for Ferrari. But surely the reality can't be all that good, right? No, no ... it is. This according to the Great Place to Work Institute, which named the company Best Place to Work in Europe for 2007.

The decoration comes as the result of a corporate initiative called "Formula Uomo," which sought to better the working conditions and lives of the company's considerable workforce. As part of the initiative, over the past decade Ferrari has spent considerable sums of money on new facilities, employee training and family benefits. Just the revitalization of the facilities in and around the factory -- the building of Maranello Village serves as just one example -- has totaled some Є200 million. Employee perks also include staff education, extensive medical coverage and company events.

Ferrari can add this to the Best Place to Work in Italy award which it received in 2003, along with all the race trophies and road-car accolades that the company has won over its 60-year history.

And here we thought, after watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, that those Oompa-Loompas had it pretty sweet. If anyone from Maranello is reading this, would you happen to be in need of any bloggers?

Press release after the jump.

Related posts:

• All Access: the Ferrari Passport
• At Maranello Village, the Prancing Horse follows you home
• Special for Ferrari: Alcoa opens new aluminum plant in Modena
• Ferrari Classiche Division opens HQ in Maranello

[Source: Ferrari]

What's working for Ferrari in the U.S. like? Check out our gallery below of the Ferrari Store in Beverly Hills.