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Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
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MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
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<SEC-DOCUMENT>/in/edgar/work/0000950168-00-002482/0000950168-00-002482.txt : 20001120
<SEC-HEADER>0000950168-00-002482.hdr.sgml : 20001120
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000950168-00-002482
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20000331
FILED AS OF DATE:		20001117

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001043509
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	 [5500
]		IRS NUMBER:				562010790
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231
</COMPANY-DATA>

		FILING VALUES:
			FORM TYPE:		4
			SEC ACT:		
			SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-13395
			FILM NUMBER:		772693
</FILING-VALUES>

			BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
				STREET 1:		5401 EAST INDEPENDENCE BLVD
				STREET 2:		PO BOX 18747
				CITY:			CHARLOTTE
				STATE:			NC
				ZIP:			28212
				BUSINESS PHONE:		7045323354
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>

				MAIL ADDRESS:	
					STREET 1:		5401 EAST INDEPENDENCE BLVD
					CITY:			CHARLOTTE
					STATE:			NC
					ZIP:			28212
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</SUBJECT-COMPANY>
<REPORTING-OWNER>

					COMPANY DATA:	
						COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			IUPPENLATZ MARK J
						CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001093574
						STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	 [
]<RELATIONSHIP>OFFICER
</COMPANY-DATA>

						FILING VALUES:
							FORM TYPE:		4
</FILING-VALUES>

							BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
								STREET 1:		SONIC AUTOMOTIVE
								STREET 2:		6407 IDLEWILD RD, BLDG 2, STE 111
								CITY:			CHARLOTTE
								STATE:			NC
								ZIP:			28212
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>

								MAIL ADDRESS:	
									STREET 1:		SONIC AUTOMOTIVE
									STREET 2:		6407 IDLEWILD RD, BLDG 2, STE 111
									CITY:			CHARLOTTE
									STATE:			NC
									ZIP:			28212
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>0001.txt
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4 FOR MARK J. IUPPENLATZ
<TEXT>

===============================================================================
                                                /------------------------------/
                                                /        OMB APPROVAL          /
                                                /------------------------------/
                                                / OMB Number:        3235-0287 /
                                                / Expires: December 31, 2001   /
                                                / Estimated average burden     /
                                                / hours per response...... 0.5 /
                                                /------------------------------/

+--------+
| 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)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  Name and Address of Reporting Person*

Iuppenlatz                          Mark                             J.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        (Last)                      (First)                        (Middle)

C/O Sonic Automotive, Inc. 6415 Idlewild Rd., Suite 109
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   (Street)

Charlotte                            NC                              28212
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        (City)                      (State)                           (Zip)


2.  Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol  Sonic Automotive, Inc. ("SAH")
                                             -----------------------------------

3.  I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity
    (voluntary)
                --------------

4.  Statement for Month/Year   10/00
                             ---------------------------------------------------

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


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


    ___ Director     X  Officer             ___ 10% Owner    ___ Other
                    --- (give title below)                       (specify below)

      Vice President - Corp. Development
    ----------------------------------------------------------------

7.  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 Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                   <C>        <C>         <C> <C>           <C>       <C>       <C>                  <C>           <C>
Class A Common Stock   10/13/00    P             2,000          A       $8.00          10,000             D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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</TABLE>
<PAGE>

  Table II--Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
        (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 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

                                                                           ---------------------------------------------------
                                                                           Code      V                 (A)         (D)

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                <C>                 <C>                 <C>       <C>          <C>              <C>

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

 Table II--Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
   (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              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)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                           <C>       <C>     <C>          <C>             <C>         <C>             <C>           <C>

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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</TABLE>

Explanation of Responses:




       ** 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.

   Potential persons 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.


                              /s/ Mark J. Iuppenlatz               11/17/00
                              -------------------------------  -----------------
                              **Signature of Reporting Person        Date
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
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