FORM 4 U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OMB APPROVAL [ ] CHECK THIS BOX IF NO LONGER WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB NUMBER 3235-0287 SUBJECT TO SECTION 16. FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP EXPIRES:FEBRUARY 1, 1994 OR FORM 5 OBLIGATIONS MAY ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN CONTINUE. SEE INSTRUCTION 1(B). HOURS PER RESPONSE.....0.5 Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (PRINT OR TYPE RESPONSES) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or 6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer Trading Symbol (Check all applicable) X Director 10% Owner ----- ----- Officer Other ----- ----- (give title below) (specify below) Belk William I. Sonic Automotive, Inc. ("SAH") See (1) and (2) below - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS 4. Statement Identification for Number of Month/Year Reporting Person (Voluntary) 6100 Fairview Road, #640 8/99 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Street) 5. If Amendment, Date of Original Charlotte, NC 28210 (Month/Year) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (City) (State) (Zip) TABLE I-- NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. - --------------------- -------- ---------- ------------------------------ ----------- ---------- ---------- Amount of Owner- Securities ship Trans- Trans- Securities Acquired (A) Beneficially Form: action action or Disposed of (D) Owned at Direct Nature of Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) End of (D) or Indirect Title of (Month/ (Instr. 8) ---------------------------- Month Indirect Beneficial Security Day/ ---------- Amount (A) or Price (Instr. (I) Ownership (Instr. 3) Year) Code V (D) 3 and 4) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4) - --------------------- -------- ---- ---- ----------- ------ --------- ----------- ---------- ---------- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class A Common Stock 8/5/99 G(1) V 2,000 A $13.6771 2,000 I(2) By Daughter - --------------------- -------- ---- ---- ----------- ------ --------- ----------- ---------- -------------------- Class A Common Stock 8/5/99 G(1) V 2,000 A $13.6771 2,000 I(2) By Son - --------------------- -------- ---- ---- ----------- ------ --------- ----------- ---------- -------------------- Class A Common Stock 8/5/99 G(1) V 2,000 A $13.6771 2,000 I(2) By Son - --------------------- -------- ---- ---- ----------- ------ --------- ----------- ---------- -------------------- - --------------------- -------- ---- ---- ----------- ------ --------- ----------- ---------- -------------------- - --------------------- -------- ---- ---- ----------- ------ --------- ----------- ---------- --------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Over) *If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, SEE Instruction 4(b)(v) SEC 1474 (7-97)
FORM 4 (CONTINUED) TABLE II -- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED (E.G., PUTS, CALLS, WARRANTS, OPTIONS, CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. - ---------- -------- -------- -------- ---------- ------------ -------------- ------ ---------- --------- ---------- Title and Ownership Number of Date Exer- Amount of Form of Derivative cisable and Underlying Number of Deriv- Securities Expiration Securities Price Derivative ative Conver- Trans- Acquired (A) Date (Month/ (Instr. 3 of Securities Security: sion or Trans- action or Disposed Day/Year) and 4) Deriv- Benefi- Direct Exercise action Code of (D) -------------- -------------- ative cially (D) or Nature of Title of Price of Date (Instr. (Instr. 3, Date Amount Secur- Owned at Indirect Indirect Derivative Deriv- (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Exer- Expir- or Num- ity End of (I) Beneficial Security ative Day/ -------- ---------- cis- ation ber of (Instr. Month (Instr. Ownership (Instr. 3) Security Year) Code V (A) (D) able Date Title Shares 5) (Instr. 4) 4) (Instr. 4) - ---------- -------- -------- ---- --- ---- ---- ------- ----- ----- ------ ------ ---------- -------- ---------- Put Options Class A (obligations Common to buy) $12.50 8/5/99 S 50(3) 8/5/99 11/20/99 Stock 5,000(3) $100 -0- D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Explanation of Responses: (1) These transactions reflect acquisitions of stock by Mr. Belk for the account of his daughter and two sons who shared his household, and are intended by Mr. Belk to be gifts to his daughter and two sons. (2) Mr. Belk disclaims beneficial ownership of all securities held by his daughter and sons, and this report should not be deemed an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of such securities for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose. (3) On August 5, 1999, Mr. Belk wrote a put option on 5,000 shares of Sonic's Class A Common Stock (represented by 50 standardized option contracts for 100 shares each), which entile the holder of the put option to require Mr. Belk, at the election of the holder, to purchase any or all of the shares at a price of $12.50 per share at any time prior to November 20, 1999. ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of /s/ William I. Belk Sept. 7 1999 facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. -------------------------------- --------------- SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a) ** Signature of Reporting Person Date William I. Belk Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, SEE Instruction 6 for procedure. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number. Page 2