FORM 4 [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b). U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP 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 ------------------------------ OMB APPROVAL ------------------------------ OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: September 30, 1998 Estimated average burden hours per response.........0.5 ------------------------------ _______________________________________________________________________________ 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person Smith, Bryan Scott - ----------------------------------------------------- (Last) (First) (Middle) 5401 E. Independence Blvd. - ----------------------------------------------------- (Street) Charlotte, NC 28212 - ----------------------------------------------------- (City) (State) (Zip) _______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) _______________________________________________________________________________ 3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary) _______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Statement for Month/Year 12/97 _______________________________________________________________________________ 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year) _______________________________________________________________________________ 6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable) ____ 10% Owner X Director ---- X Officer (give title below) ---- ____ Other (specify below) President - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person _______________________________________________________________________________
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 12/19/97 P 1,000 A $9.5625 -0- D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Class A Common Stock 12/19/97 S 1,000 D $9.5625 -0- D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Over) 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) - ---------- -------- -------- ---- --- ---- ---- ------- ----- ----- ------ ------ ---------- -------- ---------- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No transactions during this reporting period. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses: /s/ Bryan Scott Smith 1/9/98 ---------------------------------------- -------------------- ** Signature of Reporting Person Date ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space provided 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 SEC 1474 (7-96)