CROWN MOTORS (A & I) LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC128540 · ltd · incorporated 1990-11-15
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jan 2025
Net worth
£2.41M
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45112
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. 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 (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 35.2y

30/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 35.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.

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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 3 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
105 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 · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £2,408,909
Very low cash
Cash position: £77
Cash draining
Cash down 59% YoY
Cash YoY
-59%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£77
↓ 59% YoY
Net Worth
£2.4m
↑ 9.0% YoY
Current Assets
£2.9m
↑ 28% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£586k£1.2m£1.8m£2.3m£2.9mJan 2024Jan 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-01-312024-01-31
Total assets£2.54M£2.22M
Current assets£2.93M£2.29M
Cash£77£186
Debtors£416.9k£295.2k
Net assets£2.41M£2.21M

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-11-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-11-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-05-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-02-07
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  6. 2022-02-07
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  7. 2022-02-07
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  8. 2022-02-01
    ➕
    CUMMING, Gavin Alexander appointed
    director
  9. 2021-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-10-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-10-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-08-01
    ➕
    RAEBURN CHRISTIE CLARK & WALLACE LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  13. 2019-08-01
    📄
    appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP04
  14. 2019-08-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  15. 2019-07-31
    ➖
    RAEBURN CHRISTIE CLARK & WALLACE resigned
    corporate-secretary
  16. 2019-02-04
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  17. 2019-02-04
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  18. 2019-01-26
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  19. 2019-01-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  20. 2019-01-17
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  21. 2018-11-06
    📍
    change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
    address · AD02
  22. 2018-11-06
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  23. 2018-10-31
    ➕
    RAEBURN CHRISTIE CLARK & WALLACE appointed
    corporate-secretary
  24. 2018-10-31
    ➖
    STEWART & WATSON resigned
    corporate-secretary
  25. 2017-12-04
    ➖
    CUMMING, Ivor John resigned
    director
  26. 1991-02-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Tsb Bank Scotland PLC
  27. 1991-01-07
    ➕
    CUMMING, Albert Sievewright appointed
    director
  28. 1991-01-07
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 1991-01-07
    ➕
    STEWART & WATSON appointed
    corporate-secretary
  30. 1991-01-07
    ➕
    CUMMING, Ivor John appointed
    director
  31. 1991-01-07
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  32. 1990-11-15
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CROWN MOTORS (A & I) LIMITED
  33. 1990-11-15
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  34. 1990-11-15
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

91/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 35 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

46/100
Moderate signal

Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — CUMMING, Gavin Alexander (same surname) appointed 2022-02-01. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 35 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 35 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

clean
No 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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Gavin Alexander Cumming
Individual · British · DOB 09/1985 · age 41
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control01/02/2022
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mr Albert Sievewright Cummingceased 01/02/2022· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
  • Mr Ivor John Cummingceased 05/01/2018· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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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
Incorporated1990-11-15
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112

Registered office

Hillside Of Cook
Crudie
Turriff
Aberdeenshire
AB53 5UA
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last made up to: 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-27
Last: 2025-05-13

Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)

RAEBURN CHRISTIE CLARK & WALLACE LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2019-08-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CUMMING, Albert Sievewright→
director · ~66y · appointed 1991-01-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CUMMING, Gavin Alexander→
director · ~41y · appointed 2022-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1990-11-15 · resigned 1991-01-07
Resigned
RAEBURN CHRISTIE CLARK & WALLACE→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2018-10-31 · resigned 2019-07-31
Resigned
STEWART & WATSON→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1991-01-07 · resigned 2018-10-31
Resigned
CUMMING, Ivor John→
director · ~58y · appointed 1991-01-07 · resigned 2017-12-04
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1990-11-15 · resigned 1991-01-07
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
A registered charge—18/01/2019—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Tsb Bank Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property27/02/199104/02/2019
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (105 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-05-27
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-02-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2022-02-07
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-02-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-11-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-10-28