DICK LOVETT (BRISTOL) LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-07-14 (in 2mo)
Last made up 2025-06-30
Watchouts
Cash
£0
-100% lowest in 6 filed years
Net assets
£7M
-9.8% vs 2023
Employees
208
+2% vs 2023
Profit before tax
£2M
-29.7% vs 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
1 PSC ceased in last 24 months
Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- DICK LOVETT (BRISTOL) LIMITED 1991-09-23 → present
- WESTERN COUNTIES AUTOMOBILE COMPANY LIMITED 1983-05-16 → 1991-09-23
- HUGME LIMITED 1982-12-01 → 1983-05-16
Net assets
7-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
7-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2018-12-31 | 2019-12-31 | 2020-12-31 | 2021-12-31 | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | £126,281,000 | £104,998,000 | £119,728,000 | — | £138,188,000 | £154,403,000 | |
| Operating profit | — | £1,615,000 | £1,834,000 | £2,979,000 | — | £2,674,000 | £2,182,000 | |
| Profit before tax | — | £1,462,000 | £1,749,000 | £2,906,000 | £4,006,000 | £2,312,000 | £1,625,000 | |
| Net profit | — | £1,181,000 | £1,411,000 | £2,348,000 | £3,237,000 | £1,762,000 | £1,215,000 | |
| Cash | — | £3,347,000 | £5,671,000 | £4,260,000 | £3,853,000 | £3,660,000 | £0 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | £5,187,000 | £6,198,000 | £7,046,000 | £8,307,000 | £8,103,000 | £7,363,000 | |
| Net assets | — | — | — | £7,046,000 | £8,283,000 | £8,045,000 | £7,260,000 | |
| Equity | £4,406,000 | £5,187,000 | £6,198,000 | £7,046,000 | £8,283,000 | £8,045,000 | £7,260,000 | |
| Average employees | — | 230 | 224 | 193 | 195 | 204 | 208 | |
| Wages | — | £6,550,000 | £6,211,000 | £5,562,000 | £5,865,000 | £6,294,000 | £6,937,000 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2018-12-31 | 2019-12-31 | 2020-12-31 | 2021-12-31 | 2022-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2.5% | — | 1.9% | 1.4% | |
| Net margin | — | 0.9% | 1.3% | 2.0% | — | 1.3% | 0.8% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | 31.1% | 29.6% | 42.3% | — | 33.0% | 29.6% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | — | — | — | — | 74.0% | 72.7% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | — | — | 1.32x | 1.34x | |
| Interest cover | — | 6.84x | 9.97x | 24.42x | — | 5.68x | 3.45x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Saffery LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”
Significant events
- “2024 saw the Company achieve a new record turnover at £154.4 million, but profit was down on the prior year record with a profit before tax of £1.6 million.”
- “Trading was not without its difficulties with the reduction in new and used car margins affecting profitability in the year.”
- “Economic uncertainty continued to impact customer confidence and interest rates remained high impacting finance APRs of new and used vehicles, and stocking charges.”
- “resource was also a challenge given the limited labour market and therefore it has been essential that the group continues to invest significantly in training.”
- “In 2024 the business has continued to make investments in a number of areas including IT, property and EV charging.”
- “This year the company has continued to work with a number of local charities through the Lovett Foundation, which aims to support young care experienced people in our communities.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 8 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WINTERBURN, Julian | Secretary | 2018-04-01 | — | — |
| LOVETT, Peter Charles | Director | — | Mar 1950 | British |
| MALONEY, Rebecca Jane | Director | 2023-12-18 | Sep 1979 | British |
| TROTMAN, Russell John | Director | 2014-03-05 | Dec 1965 | British |
| WINTERBURN, Julian | Director | 2018-04-01 | Aug 1969 | British |
Show 8 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAURICE, Derek John | Secretary | — | 2000-06-30 |
| MOULTON, John Christopher | Secretary | 2000-06-19 | 2018-03-31 |
| CAMPBELL, Lynn Ross | Director | — | 2025-03-31 |
| FIRMAN, Ronald William | Director | — | 1992-12-31 |
| FRUEN, Paul Francis | Director | — | 1996-08-30 |
| LOVETT, Caroline Zoe | Director | — | 2000-01-01 |
| MAURICE, Derek John | Director | — | 2000-06-30 |
| MOULTON, John Christopher | Director | 2000-06-19 | 2018-03-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Rebecca Jane Maloney | Individual | Significant influence | 2025-11-18 | Active |
| Dick Lovett Automobile Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2024-05-10 | Active |
| Mr Peter Charles Lovett | Individual | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2025-11-18 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 158 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-21 | PSC01 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2025-11-21 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2025-07-01 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-05-22 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-04-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-02-05 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2024-07-03 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-05-21 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-05-10 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-04-20 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-12-27 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-07-03 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-05-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2022-07-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-05-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-12-17 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2021-07-05 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2021-05-19 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-07-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-07-09 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
+11.7%
£138,188,000 £154,403,000
highest in 5 filed years
-
Cash
-100%
£3,660,000 £0
lowest in 6 filed years
-
Net assets
-9.8%
£8,045,000 £7,260,000
-
Employees
+2%
204 208
-
Operating profit
-18.4%
£2,674,000 £2,182,000
-
Profit before tax
-29.7%
£2,312,000 £1,625,000
-
Wages
+10.2%
£6,294,000 £6,937,000
highest in 6 filed years
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers