COTTAGE CARS (ABERDEEN) LTD.

💤Zombieactive
SC350432 · ltd · incorporated 2008-10-24
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 Dec 2024
Net worth
—
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 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 65). 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 17.4y

45/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 17.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

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 (1 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
50 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.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31

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 (26 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-08-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-09-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-11-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-11-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-08-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-07-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-09-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2017-07-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2016-04-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  11. 2015-11-03
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2015-05-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  13. 2014-12-09
    ➖
    BOTHWELL, Robert William resigned
    secretary
  14. 2014-12-09
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2014-12-09
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  16. 2014-12-09
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  17. 2011-01-31
    ➖
    MATTHEW, Ian resigned
    director
  18. 2008-12-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  19. 2008-10-24
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As COTTAGE CARS (ABERDEEN) LTD.
  20. 2008-10-24
    ➕
    WHEELER, John Leslie appointed
    director
  21. 2008-10-24
    ➕
    BOTHWELL, Robert William appointed
    secretary
  22. 2008-10-24
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-secretary
  23. 2008-10-24
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-secretary
  24. 2008-10-24
    ➕
    MABBOTT, Stephen George appointed
    director
  25. 2008-10-24
    ➖
    MABBOTT, Stephen George resigned
    director
  26. 2008-10-24
    ➕
    MATTHEW, Ian appointed
    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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

88/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 18 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 John Leslie Wheeler
Individual · British · DOB 06/1961 · age 65
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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 · AB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
COLIN LAWSON TRANSPORT LIMITED→
SC268596 · est 2004
£1.64M
£1.31M–£1.97M
£8.74M—730021y8759y
BREAKING POINT LIMITED→
SC167411 · est 1996
——£22.6k—29y8361y
CARS RECOVERY LIMITED→
SC334403 · est 2007
——£186.5k—18y8368y
MACDUFF DIESELS LTD.→
SC177616 · est 1997
——£909.3k—28y8370y
A. W. AUTOTECH LIMITED→
SC172396 · est 1997
——£527.7k—29y8259y
ALAN J. ROSS MOTOR ENGINEERS LTD.→
SC178820 · est 1997
——£382.8k—28y8272y
BRIDGE OF DON GARAGE LIMITED→
SC285473 · est 2005
——£163.5k—20y8265y
CAMERON AUTOTECH LIMITED→
SC241160 · est 2002
——£1.27M—23y8265y
CITYVOE LIMITED→
SC274365 · est 2004
———70021y8263y
CROWN MOTORS (A & I) LIMITED→
SC128540 · est 1990
——£2.41M—35y8266y
DUNECHT GARAGE LTD.→
SC148143 · est 1993
————32y8271y
NORTH EAST CUSTOM COATINGS LIMITED→
SC738283 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
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
Incorporated2008-10-24
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112

Registered office

17 Kirkhill Place, Kirkhill Industrial Estate
Dyce
Aberdeen
AB21 0GU

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-10
Last: 2025-09-26

Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)

WHEELER, John Leslie→
director · ~65y · appointed 2008-10-24
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOTHWELL, Robert William→
secretary · appointed 2008-10-24 · resigned 2014-12-09
Resigned
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2008-10-24 · resigned 2008-10-24
Resigned
MABBOTT, Stephen George→
director · ~76y · appointed 2008-10-24 · resigned 2008-10-24
Resigned
MATTHEW, Ian→
director · ~79y · appointed 2008-10-24 · resigned 2011-01-31
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
Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Floating charge1 property22/12/2008—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (50 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-08-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-09-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-11-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-08-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2019-07-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-09-26