AUTOCOOL RADIATORS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04534443 · ltd · incorporated 2002-09-13
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 Sept 2025
Net worth
£8.6k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45200
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -58% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (76/100)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
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 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
68 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 £8,590
Cash draining
Cash down 58% YoY
Cash YoY
-58%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£4k
↓ 58% YoY
Net Worth
£9k
↑ 96% YoY
Current Assets
£43k
↑ 3.7% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £8.6k | £4.4k |
| Current assets | £42.7k | £41.1k |
| Cash | £3.7k | £9.0k |
| Debtors | £37.0k | £27.3k |
| Net assets | £8.6k | £4.4k |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-30➖KIRBY, Janice resigneddirector
- 2025-09-30📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-09-25📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-09-25📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2025-09-25📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-02-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-20📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-04-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-06-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2020-06-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-06-30📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2020-06-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-11-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2007-08-14➖BLACKHAM, Paul Nicholas resigneddirector
- 2007-08-14➕KIRBY, Janice appointeddirector
- 2002-09-13🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTOCOOL RADIATORS LIMITED
- 2002-09-13➕KIRBY, Stephen Neil appointedsecretary
- 2002-09-13➕KIRBY, Stephen Neil appointeddirector
- 2002-09-13➕KELLY, Sean Stephen, Dr appointedsecretary
- 2002-09-13➖KELLY, Sean Stephen, Dr resignedsecretary
- 2002-09-13➕BLACKHAM, Paul Nicholas appointeddirector
- 2002-09-13➕CORPORATE LEGAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
- 2002-09-13➖CORPORATE LEGAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
Owner dependency
100/100
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 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 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 Stephen Neil Kirby Individual · British · DOB 08/1961 · age 65 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Automotive · YO postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADDAUTO LIMITED→ 15291375 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE GROUP LIMITED→ 10921314 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AFFORDABLE CARS (DRIFFIELD) LIMITED→ 09889589 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ALDERSON MOTORS LTD→ 16676105 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALEXANDERS PRESTIGE LIMITED→ 05501999 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ALS TRADE CARS LTD→ 13357726 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AM PAINT AND BODYSHOP SUPPLIES LTD→ 15682142 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AMPAINTWORX LTD→ 15450818 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AUTO FLIPZ UK LTD→ 16766963 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUTOCELTIC LTD→ 16565423 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AUTOFIX MOTORS LTD→ 11193370 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AUTOHAUS DIAGNOSTICS LIMITED→ 08814580 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 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
Incorporated2002-09-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC45200 — SIC 45200
Registered office
Rowan House
7 West Bank
Scarborough
North Yorkshire
YO12 4DX
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-27
Last: 2025-09-13
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
KIRBY, Stephen Neil→
Activesecretary · appointed 2002-09-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
KIRBY, Stephen Neil→
Activedirector · ~65y · appointed 2002-09-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
KELLY, Sean Stephen, Dr→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-09-13 · resigned 2002-09-13
BLACKHAM, Paul Nicholas→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2002-09-13 · resigned 2007-08-14
KIRBY, Janice→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2007-08-14 · resigned 2025-09-30
CORPORATE LEGAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2002-09-13 · resigned 2002-09-13
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (68 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-09-25
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2025-09-25
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-22
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-06-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-03-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-21