WESTHILL CARS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC257314 · ltd · incorporated 2003-10-08
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£570.8k
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 with a 62-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 62). 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 (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 22.4y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 22.4 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
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
69 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 £570,846

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£84k
Net Worth
£571k
↑ 9.2% YoY
Current Assets
£700k
↑ 8.2% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£140k£280k£420k£560k£700kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£579.7k£536.1k
Current assets£699.6k£646.6k
Cash£84.2k—
Debtors£119.5k£121.0k
Net assets£570.8k£522.9k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-10-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-10-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-09-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-12-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-10-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-12-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-03-05
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  10. 2018-03-05
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  11. 2018-02-22
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2018-02-19
    ➕
    MENNIE, David Hugh appointed
    secretary
  13. 2018-02-19
    ➖
    MENNIE, Brenda resigned
    secretary
  14. 2018-02-19
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  15. 2018-02-19
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  16. 2018-02-19
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2018-02-19
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  18. 2018-01-22
    ➖
    BENZIE, Stuart Mckay resigned
    director
  19. 2017-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2006-07-31
    ➕
    BENZIE, Stuart Mckay appointed
    director
  21. 2003-12-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
  22. 2003-10-08
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As WESTHILL CARS LIMITED
  23. 2003-10-08
    ➕
    MENNIE, David Hugh appointed
    director
  24. 2003-10-08
    ➕
    MENNIE, Brenda appointed
    secretary
  25. 2003-10-08
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  26. 2003-10-08
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary

Owner dependency

93/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — 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 62. 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 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

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 David Hugh Mennie
Individual · British · DOB 06/1964 · age 62
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Stuart Mckay Benzieceased 22/01/2018· 25-50% shares

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

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COLIN LAWSON TRANSPORT LIMITED→
SC268596 · est 2004
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£8.74M—730021y8759y
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——£22.6k—29y8361y
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——£186.5k—18y8368y
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——£909.3k—28y8370y
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——£600.4k—23y8384y
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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
Incorporated2003-10-08
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112

Registered office

Westhill Cars Limited Enterprise Drive
Westhill Industrial Estate
Westhill
Aberdeenshire
AB32 6TQ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-22
Last: 2025-10-08

Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)

MENNIE, David Hugh→
secretary · appointed 2018-02-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MENNIE, David Hugh→
director · ~62y · appointed 2003-10-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MENNIE, Brenda→
secretary · appointed 2003-10-08 · resigned 2018-02-19
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-10-08 · resigned 2003-10-08
Resigned
BENZIE, Stuart Mckay→
director · ~64y · appointed 2006-07-31 · resigned 2018-01-22
Resigned

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
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
Bond & floating charge1 property19/12/2003—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (69 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-06
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-10-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2018-12-31