Sonic Automotive, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Luxury Dealership

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 20 -- Sonic Automotive, Inc. , a leader in automotive retailing, announced the acquisition of Calabasas Motorcars in Calabasas, CA from Mr. David Peterson, a long-time Mercedes Benz dealer. This dealership, which will be renamed Mercedes Benz of Calabasas, represents approximately $120 million in annual revenues and is located in one of Sonic's largest markets.

B. Scott Smith, the Company's President and Chief Strategic Officer, stated, "We are excited about this growth opportunity with a brand where Sonic has demonstrated execution capability. The fact that Mercedes now represents approximately 10% of our annual revenues demonstrates the strength of our relationship with one of our premier manufacturer partners. This acquisition shows our continued commitment to executing our disciplined acquisition growth strategy by strengthening our brand portfolio within our existing markets. This enables us to leverage our existing infrastructure, gain further economies of scale and more easily implement our proven best practices."

About Sonic Automotive, Inc.

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 Company, is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States operating 178 franchises and 37 collision repair centers. Sonic can be reached on the Web at www.sonicautomotive.com.