ALARM A CAR (BRISTOL) LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
02798684 · ltd · incorporated 1993-03-11
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£19.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45310
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 61-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 61). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -59% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
9 officers (1 active, 9 linked, 3 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
82 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £19,475
Net assets shrinking
Down £14,883 YoY
Cash draining
Cash down 59% YoY
Cash YoY
-59%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£5k
↓ 59% YoY
Net Worth
£19k
↓ 43% YoY
Current Assets
£34k
↓ 41% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £19.5k | £34.4k |
| Current assets | £33.6k | £57.1k |
| Cash | £5.0k | £12.2k |
| Debtors | £28.6k | £44.9k |
| Net assets | £19.5k | £34.4k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (33 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-12📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2023-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-25➖HOWELL, Durine resignedsecretary
- 2023-09-25📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-09-25📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-17📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2020-02-14➕HOWELL, Durine appointedsecretary
- 2019-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-04-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2017-03-18📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2013-08-01➖HOWELL, Durine resignedsecretary
- 2006-11-27➕HOWELL, Durine appointedsecretary
- 2004-05-31➖CREW, Nicola Julie resignedsecretary
- 1999-03-11➕CREW, Nicola Julie appointedsecretary
- 1998-12-22➖WARD, Deborah Michelle resignedsecretary
- 1998-12-22➖WARD, Deborah Michelle resigneddirector
- 1998-12-14➖MILLER, Brian Raymond resigneddirector
- 1997-06-27➕HOWELL, Donald Washington appointeddirector
- 1993-03-11🏢Company incorporatedAs ALARM A CAR (BRISTOL) LIMITED
- 1993-03-11➕WARD, Deborah Michelle appointedsecretary
- 1993-03-11➕HALLMARK SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1993-03-11➖HALLMARK SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1993-03-11➕MILLER, Brian Raymond appointeddirector
- 1993-03-11➕WARD, Deborah Michelle appointeddirector
- 1993-03-11➕HALLMARK REGISTRARS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1993-03-11➖HALLMARK REGISTRARS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
93/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
85/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 29 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 33 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Donald Washington Howell Individual · British · DOB 08/1965 · age 61 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares · firm interest | 01/01/2017 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Automotive · BS postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A M B MOTORS LIMITED→ 17094900 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A&M PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LTD→ 13147986 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A&T MOTOCROSS PARTS LIMITED→ 07156022 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| ADDPACE CLASSICS LIMITED→ 11986386 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADS WEST AUTOMOTIVE LTD→ 13658246 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AIRLUX SOLUTIONS LTD→ 16044233 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AKI'S GARAGE LTD→ 09589475 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ALEX CAR ELECTRIC AND MECHANICAL LTD→ 12229446 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ALVERON LOGISTICS LTD→ 06524740 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| ANDRADE RESCUER MOTORS & SERVICES LTD→ 16158330 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ARTDEANS LIMITED→ 02486894 · est 1990 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 36y | — | — |
| ASHLEY DOWN GARAGE SERVICES LIMITED→ 10272552 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1993-03-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45310 — SIC 45310
Registered office
Taxassist Accountants Hill Street
Kingswood
Bristol
BS15 4EP
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-03
Last: 2026-02-17
Officers (1 active · 8 resigned)
HOWELL, Donald Washington→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 1997-06-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CREW, Nicola Julie→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1999-03-11 · resigned 2004-05-31
HOWELL, Durine→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2020-02-14 · resigned 2023-09-25
HOWELL, Durine→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-11-27 · resigned 2013-08-01
WARD, Deborah Michelle→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1998-12-22
HALLMARK SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1993-03-11
MILLER, Brian Raymond→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1998-12-14
WARD, Deborah Michelle→
Resigneddirector · ~64y · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1998-12-22
HALLMARK REGISTRARS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1993-03-11 · resigned 1993-03-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (82 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-20
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AAMD
2024-01-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-22
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-09-25
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-27