Exhibit 99.1

   Statement Under Oath of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial
   Officer Regarding Facts and Circumstances Relating to Exchange Act Filings

 I, O. Bruton Smith, state and attest that:

       (1)    To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered
              reports of Sonic Automotive, Inc., and, except as corrected or
              supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

              .      no covered report contained an untrue statement of material
                     fact as of the end of the period covered by such report (or
                     in the case of a report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy
                     materials, as of the date on which it was filed); and

              .      no covered report omitted to state a material fact
                     necessary to make the statements in the covered report, in
                     light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
                     misleading as of the end of the period covered by such
                     report (or in the case of a report on Form 8-K or
                     definitive proxy materials, as of the date on which it was
                     filed).

       (2)    I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Company's
              audit committee.

       (3)    In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on
              or before the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

              .      Annual Report on Form 10-K for year ended December 31, 2001
                     of Sonic Automotive, Inc.;

              .      all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and all
                     definitive proxy materials of Sonic Automotive, Inc. filed
                     with the Commission subsequent to the filing of the Form
                     10-K identified above; and

              .      any amendments to any of the foregoing.


       /s/ O. Bruton Smith                       Subscribed and sworn to
       --------------------------                before me this 13th day of
       Name: O. Bruton Smith                     of August, 2002
       Date: August 13, 2002
                                                 /s/ Donna Bowen
                                                 -------------------------
                                                 Notary Public
                                                 My Commission expires: __
                                                 August 12, 2003
                                                 -------------------------