AUTO BODY CARE (NORTHERN) LTD
💤Zombieactive
04530302 · ltd · incorporated 2002-09-10
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
£-152.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45200
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 59). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 23.2y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 23.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 4 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
77 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £152,269
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£35k
Net Worth
-£152k
Current Assets
£34k
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 | £-152.3k | — |
| Current assets | £34.3k | — |
| Cash | £35.4k | — |
| Debtors | £-1.1k | — |
| Net assets | £-152.3k | — |
| Average employees | — | 700 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
2 signals 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 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-03📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2025-06-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-20📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2024-12-23📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2023-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-04📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-01-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-07📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2019-10-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-08-31➖SMITH, David resigneddirector
- 2007-04-01➕FARRELL AERIA, Christopher appointedsecretary
- 2007-03-31➖GUTHRIE, Keith resignedsecretary
- 2007-03-31➖GUTHRIE, Keith resigneddirector
- 2006-05-12➕SMITH, David appointeddirector
- 2005-07-15➕FARREL AERIA, Christopher Leslie appointeddirector
- 2005-07-15➖LEE, Ian resigneddirector
- 2003-04-15🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2002-09-13➕GUTHRIE, Keith appointedsecretary
- 2002-09-13➕GUTHRIE, Keith appointeddirector
- 2002-09-13➕LEE, Ian appointeddirector
- 2002-09-12➖FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-09-12➖FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2002-09-10🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTO BODY CARE (NORTHERN) LTD
- 2002-09-10➕FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-09-10➕FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointedcorporate-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 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — 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 59. 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 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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 Christopher Leslie Farrell-Aeria Individual · British · DOB 10/1967 · age 59 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 10/09/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.W.SINCLAIR & SONS LIMITED→ 00259295 · est 1931 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 94y | — | — |
| ATEC-ALIGN LTD→ 09818528 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| AUTHENTIA LIMITED→ 16827013 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUTO ASSIST (YORKSHIRE) LTD→ 11798012 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AUTO AUTONOMY LTD→ 10326015 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AUTO CARE (MORLEY) LTD→ 06449617 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| AUTO FLAVIUS LTD→ 15515966 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AUTO HOUSE 1 LTD→ 14283004 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AUTO KET LOCKSMITHS LTD→ 14907161 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AUTO LOGISTICA LTD→ 10825706 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AUTO RECOVERY & CAR SALES LTD→ 13511685 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AUTO RESPONSE LIMITED→ 17114956 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-09-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200
Registered office
Unit 2 First Avenue
Grangefield Ind Est
Pudsey Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS28 6QN
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-30
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-24
Last: 2025-09-10
Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)
FARRELL AERIA, Christopher→
Activesecretary · appointed 2007-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FARREL AERIA, Christopher Leslie→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2005-07-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GUTHRIE, Keith→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-09-13 · resigned 2007-03-31
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-09-10 · resigned 2002-09-12
GUTHRIE, Keith→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 2002-09-13 · resigned 2007-03-31
LEE, Ian→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2002-09-13 · resigned 2005-07-15
SMITH, David→
Resigneddirector · ~52y · appointed 2006-05-12 · resigned 2012-08-31
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-09-10 · resigned 2002-09-12
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 15/04/2003 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (77 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-06-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-17
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2025-06-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-06-02
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2025-05-20
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2024-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-12-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-12-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-10-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-01-17