FORM 5 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OMB APPROVAL CHECK BOX IF NO LONGER WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB NUMBER 3235-0362 SUBJECT TO SECTION 16. FORM 4 ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP EXPIRES: SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 OR FORM 5 OBLIGATIONS MAY ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN CONTINUE. SEE INSTRUCTION 1(B). HOURS PER RESPONSE.....1.0 FORM 3 HOLDINGS REPORTED Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act FORM 4 TRANSACTIONS REPORTED 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 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name AND Ticker or 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer Trading Symbol (Check all applicable) ___X__ Director ______10% Owner ___X__ Officer _______ Other (give title below) (specify below) Chief Financial Officer, Vice President- Wright, Theodore M. Sonic Automotive, Inc. ("SAH") Finance, Treasurer and Secretary - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS 4. Statement or Social for Security Month/Year Number of Reporting Person, (Voluntary) 5401 E. Independence Blvd. 12/98 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Street) 5. If 7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (Check Applicable Amendment, Line) Date of _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person Original ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (Month/Year) Charlotte, NC 28212 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (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) ---------------------------- Issuer's Indirect Beneficial Security Day/ ---------- Amount (A) or Price Fiscal Year (I) Ownership (Instr. 3) Year) (D) (Instr. (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4) 3 and 4) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- ---------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- ----------------------- ----------- ----- ------ --------------- ---- --------- -------------- ------------- ---------- (Over) SEC 2270 (9-96) *If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

FORM 5 (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 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. Year (Instr. Ownership (Instr. 3) Security Year) (A) (D) able Date Title Shares 5) (Instr. 4) 4) (Instr. 4) - ---------- -------- -------- ---- --- ---- ---- ------- ----- ----- ------ ------ ---------- -------- ---------- Class A Options to 100,000 Common 100,000 purchase $9.19 (1) 10/6/98 A (1) (2) 10/6/08 Stock (1) $9.19 (1) 176,376 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Explanation of Responses: (1) On October 6, 1998, Sonic Automotive, Inc. ("Sonic") granted Mr. Wright options to purchase 50,000 shares of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $18.38 per share pursuant to the Sonic 1997 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). On January 25, 1999, Sonic effected a 2-for-1 split of its Class A common stock (the "Stock Split"). In connection with the Stock Split, and pursuant to the terms of the Plan, Mr. Wright's options were adjusted to options to purchase 100,000 shares of Class A common stock at an exercise price of $9.19 per share. (2) The options reported above are exercisable beginning on April 6, 1999, subject to stockholder approval of an increase in the number of option shares available for issuance under the Plan. ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of /s/ Theodore M. Wright April 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 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