STUART MACDONALD CARS LTD.

💤Zombieactive
SC152462 · ltd · incorporated 1994-08-11
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2024
Net worth
£286.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45112
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with exceptional profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 58). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 31.0y

30/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 31.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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 (2 active, 8 linked, 1 with DOB)
73
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
101 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 105 (micro)
Positive net assets
Net assets £286,526

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£287k
↑ 19% YoY
Current Assets
£379k
↓ 13% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£87k£175k£262k£349k£437kSept 2023Sept 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2024-09-302023-09-30
Total assets£318.4k£245.6k
Current assets£378.7k£436.6k
Net assets£286.5k£241.7k

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 (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-05-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-08
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2024-06-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-05-29
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  5. 2024-05-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  6. 2023-05-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-05-23
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  8. 2022-05-05
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: United Trust Bank LTD
  9. 2022-03-31
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  10. 2022-03-31
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  11. 2021-11-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-07-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-02-22
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  14. 2021-02-22
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  15. 2020-05-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-11-28
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  17. 2019-03-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  18. 2019-01-07
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  19. 2018-05-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  20. 2015-01-26
    ➕
    MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred appointed
    secretary
  21. 2015-01-20
    ➖
    MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred resigned
    secretary
  22. 2014-08-11
    ➖
    MACDONALD, Ruth resigned
    secretary
  23. 2014-08-11
    ➕
    MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred appointed
    secretary
  24. 2013-05-30
    ➕
    MACDONALD, Ruth appointed
    secretary
  25. 2013-05-30
    ➖
    MACDONALD, Sarah Fiona resigned
    secretary
  26. 2001-12-03
    ➖
    MACDONALD, James Sloan resigned
    secretary
  27. 2001-12-03
    ➕
    MACDONALD, Sarah Fiona appointed
    secretary
  28. 1995-06-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  29. 1994-08-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As STUART MACDONALD CARS LTD.
  30. 1994-08-11
    ➕
    MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred appointed
    director
  31. 1994-08-11
    ➕
    MACDONALD, James Sloan appointed
    secretary
  32. 1994-08-11
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  33. 1994-08-11
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  34. 1994-08-11
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  35. 1994-08-11
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "MACDONALD" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. 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 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 32 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
Mr Stuart Alfred Macdonald
Individual · Scottish · DOB 04/1968 · age 58
75–100%
—75-100% shares11/08/2016

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 · KA postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
KERR AND SMITH (CUMNOCK) LIMITED→
SC106800 · est 1987
£859.6k
£687.7k–£1.03M
——340038y8462y
AYRSHIRE MOTOR FACTORS LIMITED→
SC128561 · est 1990
———40035y8265y
COLVINS S.P.S. LIMITED→
SC212368 · est 2000
——£13.7k—25y8262y
JOHN M. PATERSON LTD.→
SC321496 · est 2007
———1619y8264y
KATTRAK INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→
SC265073 · est 2004
———622y8278y
KERR AND SMITH (AYR) LIMITED→
SC182558 · est 1998
———1328y8281y
MACLEAY MOTOR ENGINEERING LIMITED→
SC214626 · est 2001
——£1.75M—25y8260y
MAYBANK MOTORS LIMITED→
SC164609 · est 1996 · no financials extracted
————30y8267y
PARKER BROS. (KILMARNOCK) LIMITED→
SC040009 · est 1964
——£109.0k—62y8259y
RIGHTCARS LIMITED→
SC245622 · est 2003
————23y8261y
TRUCKPOINT LIMITED→
SC082193 · est 1983
————43y8282y
VTEC ENGINEERING LIMITED→
SC223457 · est 2001
——£65.1k—24y8264y
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
Incorporated1994-08-11
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112

Registered office

4 Old Quarry Road
Stevenston
KA20 3HS
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-08
Last: 2025-06-24

Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)

MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred→
secretary · appointed 2015-01-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred→
director · ~58y · appointed 1994-08-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACDONALD, James Sloan→
secretary · appointed 1994-08-11 · resigned 2001-12-03
Resigned
MACDONALD, Ruth→
secretary · appointed 2013-05-30 · resigned 2014-08-11
Resigned
MACDONALD, Sarah Fiona→
secretary · appointed 2001-12-03 · resigned 2013-05-30
Resigned
MACDONALD, Stuart Alfred→
secretary · appointed 2014-08-11 · resigned 2015-01-20
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-08-11 · resigned 1994-08-11
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1994-08-11 · resigned 1994-08-11
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
United Trust Bank
United Trust Bank LTD
A registered charge—05/05/202229/05/2024
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property26/06/199531/03/2022

Recent filings (101 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-05-28
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-01-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-28
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-05-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-24
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-05-23
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2022-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-07-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-07-13
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-02-22