CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Long time Sonic Automotive, Inc. director, William P. Benton passed away on February 19, 2009. Mr. Benton, 85, served on the Sonic Automotive, Inc. Board of Directors since just after the company went public in 1997. Mr. Benton retired from Ford Motor Company as Vice President of Marketing worldwide after a distinguished 37-year career with the company. During that time, Mr. Benton held the following major positions: Vice President/General Manager of Lincoln/Mercury Division, Vice President/General Manager of Ford Division, four years in Europe as Group Vice President of Ford of Europe and a member of the company's Product Planning Committee, responsible for all products of the company worldwide. Most recently, Mr. Benton was Vice Chairman of Wells Rich Greene and Executive Director of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide in New York until 1992. "Bill Benton is one of the finest people I have ever been around and his contributions to Sonic Automotive will be greatly missed," said Bruton Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sonic Automotive. "It is truly a sad day for Sonic Automotive. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill's family and many friends." About Sonic Automotive Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States operating 164 franchises. Sonic can be reached on the Web at http://www.sonicautomotive.com/. DATASOURCE: Sonic Automotive, Inc. CONTACT: Scott Smith, President and Chief Strategic Officer, +1-704-566-2400, David Cosper, Chief Financial Officer, +1-704-566-2400, Greg Young, Vice President of Finance, +1-704-566-2489, all of Sonic Automotive, Inc. Web site: http://www.sonicautomotive.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/125546.html

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