---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001043509-22-000012"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "SAH"
cik: "0001043509"
company_name: "SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC"
filed_at: "2022-07-29T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-24T06:47:24.052697+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.55
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Sonic Automotive elects David Bruton Smith as Chairman; B. Scott Smith rejoins board

## Summary
- David Bruton Smith, current CEO, elected Chairman of the Board effective July 27, 2022.
- B. Scott Smith (co-founder, >10% owner) elected to board to fill vacancy from O. Bruton Smith's passing; term expires at 2023 annual meeting.
- B. Scott Smith will receive a grant of 3,884 restricted shares vesting on first anniversary of grant date.
- B. Scott Smith served as CEO from July 2015 to September 2018 and as director from 1997 to 2018; no committee assignments.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001043509-22-000012
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: SAH
- cik: 0001043509
- company_name: SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC
- filed_at: 2022-07-29T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.55
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043509/000104350922000012/0001043509-22-000012-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043509/000104350922000012/sah-20220727.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001043509-22-000012
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001043509-22-000012.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001043509-22-000012.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  B. Scott Smith was elected as Director at SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC.
  - Action: elected
  - Role: Director
  source text: Also on July 27, 2022, the Board of the Company elected B. Scott Smith, Co-Founder of the Company and a greater than 10% beneficial owner of the Company, to the Board to fill the vacancy created by the passing of O. Bruton Smith, effective that day, with a term expiring at the Company’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043509/000104350922000012/0001043509-22-000012-index.htm
- Executive change
  David Bruton Smith was elected as Chairman of the Board at SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC.
  - Action: elected
  - Role: Chairman of the Board
  source text: On July 27, 2022, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Sonic Automotive, Inc. (the “Company”) elected David Bruton Smith, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board, to also serve as Chairman of the Board, effective that day.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043509/000104350922000012/0001043509-22-000012-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.