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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 or TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File Number : 1-13395 SONIC AUTOMOTIVE , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Delaware ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) FORM 10 - K 4401 Colwick Road Charlotte , North Carolina ( Address of principal executive offices ) Title of each class Class A Common Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share Registrant's telephone number , including area code : ( 704 ) 566-2400 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) 56-2010790 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) SAH 28211 ( Zip Code ) Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None No | No 冈 Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes □ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes □ No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( §232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes □ No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , ” and “ emerging company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . growth Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company 0 0 0 If an emerging growth mpany , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . 0 Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . < with any new Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Act ) . Yes No The aggregate market value of the voting common equity held by non - affiliates of the registrant was approximately $ 916.8 million based upon the closing sales price of the registrant's Class A Common Stock on June 30 , 2020 of $ 31.91 per share . The registrant has no non - voting common equity . As of February 18 , 2021 , there were 29,797,727 shares of Class A Common Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share , and 12,029,375 shares of Class B Common Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share , outstanding . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the registrant's 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K to the extent described herein .