Sonic Automotive, Inc. CEO and President Terminate Previously-Established Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: SAH), a leader in automotive retailing, today announced that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. O. Bruton Smith, and its President and Chief Strategic Officer, Mr. B. Scott Smith, have each terminated their respective written trading plans that were previously established in March 2008 in accordance with SEC Rule 10b5-1 and Sonic Automotive's insider trading policy. Sonic Automotive previously had issued a press release on March 20, 2008 announcing the original establishment of these Rule 10b5-1 trading plans.

The stock options covered by the respective Rule 10b5-1 trading plans were granted to Bruton Smith and Scott Smith in 1998 and 1999 and, according to their terms, were and are scheduled to expire in October 2008, May 2009 and November 2009. Transactions that occurred under these Rule 10b5-1 trading plans were previously reported in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mr. Bruton Smith stated, "Scott and I firmly believe that Sonic Automotive's stock is substantially undervalued in the market at the current time. As a result, we each elected to terminate our Rule 10b5-1 trading plans in accordance with the terms of those trading plans, Sonic Automotive's insider trading policy and applicable SEC regulations."

About Sonic Automotive

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States operating 166 franchises. Sonic can be reached on the Web at www.sonicautomotive.com.

SOURCE Sonic Automotive, Inc.

Released August 25, 2008