CRAIGNAIRN CAR WORLD LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC101729 · ltd · incorporated 1986-11-06
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
£412.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 45112
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 38.5y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 38.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · 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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (1 active, 9 linked, 7 with DOB)
86
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
117 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £412,809
Net assets shrinking
Down £14,120 YoY
Cash YoY
+30%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£41k
↑ 30% YoY
Net Worth
£413k
↓ 3.3% YoY
Current Assets
£424k
~ YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £415.5k | £438.6k |
| Current assets | £424.2k | £420.1k |
| Cash | £41.2k | £31.6k |
| Debtors | £151.6k | £108.0k |
| Net assets | £412.8k | £426.9k |
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 (33 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-03-31📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-03-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-23📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2019-05-21📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-05-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2018-08-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-08-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-05-03📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-08-28➖ADAM, Elaine resignedsecretary
- 2007-03-31➖GRUBB, Murray resigneddirector
- 2003-01-29🔒Charge registered #4Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2002-07-05➕GRUBB, Murray appointeddirector
- 2000-02-10➕GRUBB, John appointeddirector
- 2000-02-10➕ADAM, Elaine appointedsecretary
- 2000-02-10➖GRUBB, Jennifer resignedsecretary
- 2000-02-10➖GRUBB, Jennifer resigneddirector
- 2000-02-10➖GRUBB, Murray resigneddirector
- 2000-01-27🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 2000-01-19🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1995-03-21🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1995-01-27➖NICOLSON, Brian Malcolm resigneddirector
- 1995-01-27➖STEVENSON, Kenneth resigneddirector
- 1994-05-05➖MORRISON, Cathel Hugh resigneddirector
- 1987-10-07🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1986-11-06🏢Company incorporatedAs CRAIGNAIRN CAR WORLD LIMITED
Owner dependency
85/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 39 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
cleanNo 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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Grubb Individual · British · DOB 07/1974 · age 52 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
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 · KY postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A J SPENCE LIMITED→ SC343753 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| ALAN BENNIE MOTOR ENGINEERS LIMITED→ SC260726 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ALAN'S AUTO REPAIRS LTD→ SC550307 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ALEXANDER THOMSON & COMPANY (PLUMBERS) LIMITED→ SC022305 · est 1943 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 83y | — | — |
| AUTOPAINT FIFE LIMITED→ SC279399 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| AUTOTECH FIFE LTD→ SC684482 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BALGONIE MOTOR REPAIRS LTD→ SC678879 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BARRY FIMISTER AUTOTINT LIMITED→ SC404059 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| BITWISE GROUP LIMITED→ SC164481 · est 1996 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 30y | — | — |
| BODY TECH FIFE LTD→ SC521591 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BOLTS LEVEN LTD→ SC461814 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BRIDGEWAY AUTOPOINT LIMITED→ SC174877 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1986-11-06
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC45112 — SIC 45112
Registered office
10 Forth Avenue
Kirkcaldy
Fife
KY2 5PN
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-08
Last: 2025-04-24
Officers (1 active · 8 resigned)
Active
ADAM, Elaine→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-02-10 · resigned 2014-08-28
GRUBB, Jennifer→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2000-02-10
GRUBB, Jennifer→
Resigneddirector · ~81y · resigned 2000-02-10
GRUBB, Murray→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · appointed 2002-07-05 · resigned 2007-03-31
GRUBB, Murray→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 2000-02-10
MORRISON, Cathel Hugh→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · resigned 1994-05-05
NICOLSON, Brian Malcolm→
Resigneddirector · ~82y · resigned 1995-01-27
STEVENSON, Kenneth→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · resigned 1995-01-27
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 29/01/2003 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Standard security | 1 property | 27/01/2000 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 19/01/2000 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 07/10/1987 | 21/03/1995 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (117 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-22
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2021-03-31
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-06-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-06-18