HUNTER AUTO ENGINEERS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC153501 · ltd · incorporated 1994-10-10
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 28.7y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2025
Net worth
£8.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 45200SIC 45200
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 3 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
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 28.7y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 28.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
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
89 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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 £8,535
Net assets shrinking
Down £1,423 YoY
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£9k
↓ 14% YoY
Current Assets
£7k
↑ 87% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2025-10-31 | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £8.5k | £12.6k |
| Current assets | £6.6k | £3.5k |
| Net assets | £8.5k | £10.0k |
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
3
filings
- • 2 officers
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-11-21➖HUNTER, Jean Blair resignedsecretary
- 2025-11-21➖HUNTER, Jean Blair resigneddirector
- 2025-11-21📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-11-21📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2025-07-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-24📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-03-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-12📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2017-10-20📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2017-04-18📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AAMD
- 2017-04-18📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AAMD
- 2007-08-22🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2007-08-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2004-11-12➕HUNTER, Robert John appointeddirector
- 1997-08-07🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1994-10-19➕HUNTER(JNR), James Mackie appointeddirector
- 1994-10-19➕HUNTER, Jean Blair appointedsecretary
- 1994-10-19➖OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1994-10-19➕HUNTER, Jean Blair appointeddirector
- 1994-10-19➖JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1994-10-10🏢Company incorporatedAs HUNTER AUTO ENGINEERS LIMITED
- 1994-10-10➕OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1994-10-10➕JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
98/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "HUNTER" — 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.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
86/100
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 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 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
1 med ·2 director resignations in last 12 months
mediumMultiple recent departures can indicate governance disagreement, succession event, or preparation for sale/stress.
Evidence: HUNTER, Jean Blair resigned 2025-11-21; HUNTER, Jean Blair resigned 2025-11-21
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Jean Blair Hunter Individual · British · DOB 02/1939 · age 87 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 10/10/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRANT MILLER VEHICLES LIMITED→ SC266620 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| HARRIS 4X4 LIMITED→ SC878087 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| HATTIE'S AUTOS LTD→ SC772693 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| HG TYRE SERVICES LTD→ SC663400 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| HOME FARM MOT CENTRE LIMITED→ SC661810 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| IDEAL FESTIVALS LIMITED→ SC636862 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| IGNITION TUNING & REMAPPING LTD→ SC739103 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| IOA MOTS LTD→ SC848414 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| J MCDADE PLANT REPAIRS LTD.→ SC363607 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| J&A AUTOMOTIVE LTD→ SC671314 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| JAMES GLEN CAR SALES LTD→ SC496593 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| JAMES HARVIE & SONS LTD.→ SC360707 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1994-10-10
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45111 — Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
Registered office
1 Campbell Lane
Hamilton
ML3 6DB
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-24
Last: 2025-10-10
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
HUNTER, Robert John→
Activedirector · ~66y · appointed 2004-11-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HUNTER(JNR), James Mackie→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 1994-10-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HUNTER, Jean Blair→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-10-19 · resigned 2025-11-21
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-10-10 · resigned 1994-10-19
HUNTER, Jean Blair→
Resigneddirector · ~87y · appointed 1994-10-19 · resigned 2025-11-21
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1994-10-10 · resigned 1994-10-19
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 22/08/2007 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 06/08/2007 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 07/08/1997 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (89 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-01-05
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-21
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-11-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-07-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-17
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-05-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-03-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-04-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-03-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-21