As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 8, 2021

Registration No. 333-       

 UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware						56-2010790
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)						(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
4401 Colwick Road Charlotte, North Carolina						28211
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)						(Zip Code)

Sonic Automotive, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Stephen K. Coss

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

4401 Colwick Road

Charlotte, North Carolina 28211

(Name and address of agent for service)

(704) 566-2400

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

 

Wade B. Sample, Jr., Esq.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC

100 North Tryon Street, Suite 4700

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-4003

(704) 331-1000

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  

Large accelerated filer

☒

Accelerated filer

☐

Non-accelerated filer

☐

Smaller reporting company

☐

Emerging growth company

☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of securities to be registered

Amount to be registered (1)

Proposed maximum offering price per share (2)

Proposed maximum aggregate offering price (2)

Amount of registration fee

Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

2,000,000 shares

$47.87

$95,740,000.00

$10,445.23

(1)			Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement also covers any additional shares of the registrant’s Class A Common Stock that may become issuable under the above-named plan by reason of any stock split, stock dividend or other similar transaction.
(2)			Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based upon the average of the high and low prices of the registrant’s Class A Common Stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on June 4, 2021.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This registration statement on Form S-8 registers additional securities of the same class as other securities for which registration statements on Form S-8 relating to the Sonic Automotive, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan are effective. Accordingly, pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the registrant hereby incorporates by reference herein the contents of such registration statements on Form S-8 (Registration Nos. 333-180814, 333-204027 and 333-232177) and hereby deems such contents to be a part hereof, except as otherwise updated or modified by this registration statement.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 8.    Exhibits.

Exhibit No.						Description
4.1						Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Sonic Automotive, Inc., dated August 7, 1997 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (File No. 001-13395)).
4.2						Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Sonic Automotive, Inc., dated June 16, 1999 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 (File No. 001-13395)).
4.3						Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Sonic Automotive, Inc., dated April 18, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 (File No. 001-13395)).
4.4*						Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Sonic Automotive, Inc., dated May 3, 2021.
4.5						Amended and Restated Bylaws of Sonic Automotive, Inc., dated February 10, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 12, 2021 (File No. 001-13395)).
4.6						Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1/A filed October 17, 1997 (File No. 333-33295)).
5.1*						Opinion of Moore & Van Allen PLLC.
23.1*						Consent of KPMG LLP.
23.2*						Consent of Moore & Van Allen PLLC (included in Exhibit 5.1).
99.1						Sonic Automotive, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, amended and restated as of February 10, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 3, 2021 (File No. 001-13395)).

*    Filed herewith.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Charlotte, State of North Carolina, on this 8th day of June, 2021.

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

By:    /s/ HEATH R. BYRD    

Heath R. Byrd

Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on this 8th day of June, 2021:

Signature						Title
/s/ O. BRUTON SMITH						Executive Chairman and Director
O. Bruton Smith
/s/ DAVID BRUTON SMITH						Chief Executive Officer and Director
David Bruton Smith						(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ JEFF DYKE						President and Director
Jeff Dyke
/s/ HEATH R. BYRD						Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Heath R. Byrd						(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ WILLIAM I. BELK						Director
William I. Belk
/s/ WILLIAM R. BROOKS						Director
William R. Brooks
/s/ VICTOR H. DOOLAN						Director
Victor H. Doolan

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/s/ JOHN W. HARRIS III						Director
John W. Harris III
/s/ ROBERT HELLER						Director
Robert Heller
/s/ KERI A. KAISER						Director
Keri A. Kaiser
/s/ MARCUS G. SMITH						Director
Marcus G. Smith
/s/ R. EUGENE TAYLOR						Director
R. Eugene Taylor

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