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Related Parties | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2012
Related Parties [Abstract] |
Related Parties |
8. | Related Parties
Through August 15, 2011, Sonic leased office space in Charlotte from a subsidiary of SFC, an entity controlled by Sonic’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. O. Bruton Smith, for a majority of its headquarters personnel. Annual aggregate rent under this lease was approximately $0.4 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Sonic rents various aircraft owned by SFC, subject to their availability, for business-related travel by Sonic executives. Sonic incurred costs of approximately $0.9 million, $0.6 million and $0.4 million in the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively, for the use of these aircraft. Certain of Sonic’s dealerships purchase the Z-Max oil additive product from Oil Chem Research Company, a subsidiary of SMI, whose Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is O. Bruton Smith, also Sonic’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, for resale to service customers of Sonic’s dealerships in the ordinary course of business. Total purchases from Oil Chem by Sonic dealerships totaled approximately $1.9 million, $1.5 million and $1.4 million in the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for related party transactions. Examples of related party transactions include transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiary; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) and entity and its principal owners; and (d) affiliates. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39691-107864 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39622-107864 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 57 -Paragraph 1-4 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39603-107864 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39678-107864 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(k)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph b -Article 3A Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph k -Article 4 + Details
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