SEC FORM 3

SEC Form 3

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0104
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

DYKE JEFF

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

C/O SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

6415 IDLEWILD ROAD, SUITE 109

(Street)

CHARLOTTE

28212

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
10/16/2008

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC [ SAH ]

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
	EVP of Operations

5. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. 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 Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Class A Common Stock	63,044⁽¹⁾	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Options to Purchase	⁽²⁾	10/19/2015	Class A Common Stock	20,000	$21.23	D
Options to Purchase	⁽³⁾	04/19/2016	Class A Common Stock	33,500	$26.42	D
Options to Purchase	04/18/2008	04/18/2017	Class A Common Stock	10,050	$30.07	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Includes shares of restricted stock granted pursuant to the Sonic Automotive, Inc. 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. 15,000 of these shares are subject to forfeiture, in whole or in part, based on Sonic's earnings per share performance for the 2008 fiscal year.

2. Options to purchase vested in three equal annual installments beginning on 10/19/2006.

3. Options to purchase vested in two equal annual installments beginning on 4/19/2007.

	/s/ Jeff Dyke	10/24/2008
	** 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 5 (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.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.