Sonic Automotive, Inc. Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 2, 2006 -- Sonic Automotive, Inc. , a leader in automotive retailing, today announced that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share payable in cash for shareholders of record on September 15, 2006. The dividend will be payable October 15, 2006.

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States operating 173 franchises and 38 collision repair centers. Sonic can be reached on the Web at www.sonicautomotive.com .