AUTO EXPRESS (TRANSPORT) LTD
💤Zombieactive
04779653 · ltd · incorporated 2003-05-29
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 Jul 2025
Net worth
£23.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Freight transport by road
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 21.0y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
62 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)Positive net assets
Net assets £23,059
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£23k
↑ 241% YoY
Current Assets
£20k
↑ 82% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £24.6k | £13.8k |
| Current assets | £19.7k | £10.9k |
| Net assets | £23.1k | £6.8k |
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 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-04-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-21📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2024-08-20📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2024-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-01➖CURRY, Eileen resignedsecretary
- 2023-11-01📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2023-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-08-07📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-04-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-07-29📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2016-04-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2005-05-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 2003-06-04➕HALL, Michael Leslie appointeddirector
- 2003-06-04➕CURRY, Eileen appointedsecretary
- 2003-06-02➖FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-06-02➖FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-05-29🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTO EXPRESS (TRANSPORT) LTD
- 2003-05-29➕FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-05-29➕FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
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 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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 Michael Leslie Hall Individual · British · DOB 09/1976 · age 50 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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| AVIANCE UK LIMITED→ 01036291 · est 1971 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 54y | — | — |
| AVM (NEWCASTLE) LIMITED→ 09142742 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| BAKERBOYCOURIERS LTD→ 16711081 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BAMBURGH MOTORS LTD→ 16624946 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BARRIE LOW LTD→ 16867912 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BEACON CARS (NE) LIMITED→ 15534792 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BELLS (GROUP SERVICES) LIMITED→ 01576533 · est 1981 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 44y | — | — |
| BEN LEIGHTON LOGISTICS LTD→ 16344043 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BEN ORMSBY LOGISTICS LIMITED→ 16430797 · est 2025 · 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
Incorporated2003-05-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC49410 — Freight transport by road
Registered office
45 Consett Road
Lobley Hill
Gateshead
Tyne & Wear
NE11 0AN
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-12
Last: 2025-05-29
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
HALL, Michael Leslie→
Activedirector · ~50y · appointed 2003-06-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CURRY, Eileen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-06-04 · resigned 2023-11-01
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-05-29 · resigned 2003-06-02
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-05-29 · resigned 2003-06-02
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 | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 18/05/2005 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (62 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-04-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-04-22
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2024-08-21
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2024-08-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-04-26
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-11-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-04-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-04-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-07-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-04-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-06-04