---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-22-178949"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "SAH"
cik: "0001043509"
company_name: "SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC"
filed_at: "2022-06-23T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-24T23:30:24.904100+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "negative"
materiality_score: 0.7
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.7
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Sonic Automotive founder and Executive Chairman O. Bruton Smith dies on June 22, 2022

## Summary
- O. Bruton Smith, founder and Executive Chairman, passed away on June 22, 2022.
- He served as Chairman and CEO from the company's 1997 organization until 2015.
- Smith was a leader in the retail automotive industry since 1966.
- No successor or interim leadership has been announced at this time.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-22-178949
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: SAH
- cik: 0001043509
- company_name: SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC
- filed_at: 2022-06-23T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: negative
- materiality_score: 0.7
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.7
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 7.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043509/000119312522178949/0001193125-22-178949-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1043509/000119312522178949/d361867d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-22-178949
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-22-178949.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-22-178949.txt

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