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| FORM 4 | UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
+--------+ Washington, D.C. 20549
[_] Check this box if
no longer subject STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities
obligations may Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the
continue. See Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
Instruction 1(b). Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
(Print or Type Responses)
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Benton Wiiliam P.
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(Last) (First) (Middle)
Parkland Towers West, Ste. 1610 3 Parkland Blvd.
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(Street)
Dearborn MI 48126
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(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Tickler or Trading Symbol Sonic Automotive, Inc.(SAH)
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3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity
(voluntary)
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4. Statement for Month/Year 08/01
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5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
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6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
X Director ___ Officer ___ 10% Owner ___ Other
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(give title below) (specify below)
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7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
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___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I--Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
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1. Title 2. Trans- 3. Trans- 4. Securities Acquired (A) 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature
of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities ship of In-
Security Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Form: direct
(Instr. 3) (Month/ (Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Bene-
Day/ ----------------------------------------------- End of (D) or ficial
Year) Month Indirect Owner-
Code V Amount (A) or Price (Instr. 3 and 4) (I) ship
(D) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
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Class A Common Stock 08/02/01 M 10,000 A $8.87 D
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Class A Common Stock 08/02/01 M 10,000 A $14.50 D
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Class A Common Stock 08/22/01 M 10,000 A $7.25 D
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Class A Common Stock 08/02/01 S 10,000 D $22.1188 D
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Class A Common Stock 08/02/01 S 10,000 D $22.1188 D
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Class A Common Stock 08/22/01 S 10,000 D $20.00 2,500 D
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Table II--Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
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1. Title of Derivative 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Transac- 5. Number of Deriv-
Security (Instr. 3) sion or action tion Code ative Securities
Exercise Date (Instr. 8) Acquired (A) or
Price of (Month/ Disposed of (D)
Deriv- Day/ (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
ative Year)
Security
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Code V (A) (D)
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Options to $8.87 08/02/01 M 10,000
Purchase
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Options to $14.50 08/02/01 M 10,000
Purchase
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Options to $7.25 08/22/01 M 10,000
Purchase
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6. Date Exer- 7. Title and Amount of 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Na-
cisable and Underlying Securities of of Deriv- ship ture
Expiration (Instr. 3 and 4) Deriv- ative Form of In-
Date ative Secur- of De- direct
(Month/Day/ Secur- ities rivative Bene-
Year) ity Bene- Securities ficial
(Instr. ficially Bene- Owner-
--------------------------------------------- 5) Owned ficially ship
Date Expira- Amount or at End Owned at (Instr.
Exer- tion Title Number of of End of 4)
cisable Date Shares Month Month(1)
(Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
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Options to 09/31/00 03/31/10 Class A 10,000
Purchase Common Stock
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Options to 09/31/99 03/31/09 Class A 10,000
Purchase Common Stock
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Options to 09/20/98 03/20/08 Class A 10,000 20,000 D
Purchase Common Stock
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Explanation of Responses:
/s/ William P. Benton 09/06/01
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**Signature of Reporting Person Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see
Instruction 4(b)(v).
** 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 is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.