CHARLOTTE, N.C. –

Though the company believes it has enough vehicles in stock to withstand market demand, Sonic Automotive said Thursday that if its import supply does run low due to the ongoing Japanese disaster, its dealers plan to turn to used vehicles as a supplement.

“We await further news as these companies (automakers) continue to evaluate the impact of these events on their supply chain and manufacturing capacity,” explained executive vice president of retail operations Jeff Dyke.

“Between inventory we have on the ground and what is available from the manufacturers, we believe we have adequate inventory based on the information that we have,” he continued.

However, if inventory should become tight, he added, “Our used-vehicle buying organization is prepared to supplement our new vehicle inventory with quality nearly new used vehicles should the manufacturing disruptions interrupt new vehicle inventory supplies longer than currently anticipated."

Ultimately, he said, "We don’t expect any disruption to our business over the remainder of the first quarter and into the early second quarter.”

The company also issued words of sympathy to its OEM partners’ families.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those families affected by this unprecedented natural disaster,” Dyke shared.