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.
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 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
WESTFIELD MOTORS (PETERHEAD) LIMITED→
SC234665 · est 2002
——£600.4k—23y8384y
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
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