<PAGE>
FORM 3
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
OMB APPROVAL
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OMB Number: 3235-0104
Expires: September 30, 1998
Estimated average burden
hours per response .... 0.5
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
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
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C> <C>
(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Date of Event Re- 4. Issuer Name and Ticker or
quiring statement Trading Symbol
Sonic Financial Corporation (Month/Day/Year) Sonic Automotive, Inc.-- SAH
- -------------------------------------- --------------------------------
(Last) (First) (Middle) 11/10/97 5. Relationship of Reporting 6. If Amendment, Date of
------------------- Person(s) to Issuer Original (Month/Day/Year)
5401 E. Independence Blvd. 3. IRS or Social Se- (Check all applicable) ----------------------------
- -------------------------------------- curity Number of Director X 10% Owner
(Street) Reporting Person Officer (give __Other 7. Individual or Joint/Group
(Voluntary) title below)(specify below) Filing (Check Applicable Line)
Charlotte, NC 28212 X Form filled by One Reporting
- -------------------------------------- -------------------------- Person
(City) (State) (Zip) __ Form filled by More than One
Reporting Person
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Table I - Non Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
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<S> <C> <C> <C>
1. Title of Security 2. Amount of Securities 3. Ownership 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial
(Instr. 4) Beneficially Owned Form: Direct Ownership (Instr. 5)
(Inst.4) (D) or Indirect
(I) (Instr.5)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class B Common Stock 4,440,625 shares D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
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).
(Over)
SEC 1473 (9-96)
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FORM 3 (continued)
Table II-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
(e.g. puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Date Exer- 3. Title and amount of Securities 4. Conver- 5. Owner- 6. Nature of Indirect
(Instr. 4) cisable and Underlying Derivative Security sion or ship Beneficial Ownership
Expiration (Instr. 4) Exercise Form of (Instr. 4)
Date Price of Deriv-
(Month/Day/ Deri- ative
Year) vative Security:
------------------------------------------------ Security Direct
Date Expira- Title Amount (D) or
Exer- tion or Indirect
cisable Date Number (I)
of Shares (Instr.5)
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NONE
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</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
/s/ William R. Brooks Nov. 10, 1997
--------------------- -----------------
** Signature of Reporting Date
Person
William R. Brooks
Vice President
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of acts 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.
Potential person 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.
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SEC 1473 (9/96)
