SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC
FIRST AMD. TO EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-10.18A
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>0002.txt
<DESCRIPTION>FIRST AMD. TO EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
<TEXT>

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                                                                  EXHIBIT 10.18a
                                                                  --------------

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                         EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Amendment") is
entered into effective January 4, 2001 (the "Effective Date") by and between
Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Sonic") and Thomas A. Price
("Executive"), and is made with respect to the following facts and
circumstances.

     A. Executive and Sonic are parties to that certain Executive Employment
Agreement (the "Employment Agreement") dated December 10, 1999.

     B. Executive and Sonic now desire to amend the Employment Agreement on the
terms and conditions set forth herein. Unless expressly defined in this
Amendment, all capitalized terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the
Employment Agreement.

     NOW, THEREFORE, in recognition of the foregoing premises, in exchange of
the promises, covenants and conditions set forth herein, and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby
acknowledged, Sonic and Executive agree as follows.

     1. Section 3.a. of the Employment Agreement is hereby amended to provide
that, commencing on July 1, 2001 and continuing through the end of the term of
the Employment Agreement, Executive's annual base salary shall be reduced from
$600,000.00 to $300,000.00.

     2. Section 3.c. of the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its
entirety. Executive (i) shall not be entitled to an adjustment of Executive's
total compensation package due pursuant to the Employment Agreement based on the
compensation paid by Sonic to O. Bruton Smith, and (ii) shall have no right to
receive a bonus or other monetary compensation pursuant to Section 3 of the
Employment Agreement in excess of the salary set forth in Section 3.a. of the
Employment Agreement (as modified by Paragraph 1 above). The provisions of this
Paragraph 2 shall apply with respect to calendar year 2000 and thereafter during
the remaining term of the Employment Agreement.

     3. Section 5.b.(iv) of the Employment Agreement is hereby amended to
provide that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section
5.b.(iv), Executive shall not be prevented from, and it shall not constitute a
violation of said Section 5.b.(iv) of the Employment Agreement for Executive to,
(i) purchase, own and operate (either directly or indirectly) from Sonic (or its
subsidiaries) the Land Rover dealership located at 647 Irwin Street, San Rafael,
California, (ii) own and operate (either directly or indirectly) the existing
Jaguar dealership located at 610 DuBois, San Rafael, California, or (iii) own an
operate (either directly or indirectly) a Lincoln dealership in Marin County,
California. The provisions of this Paragraph 3 shall not in any way otherwise
diminish Executive's obligations under Section 5 of the Employment Agreement.

     4. Except as expressly modified herein, all other terms and conditions of
the Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, without
modification.

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     Wherefore, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment on the
day and year first above written.

Sonic Automotive, Inc.,
a Delaware corporation


By:  /s/ O. Bruton Smith                             /s/ Thomas A. Price
   -------------------------------------             -------------------
Its: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer            Thomas A. Price

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