The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 December 2024.

The year to 31 December 2024 was another year of change for the Business. Starting from a position of a smaller fleet size due to taking advantage of the second-hand market in previous years meant that the year focused on stabilising operations across the business and creating a firm base from which to grow the fleet size back to levels previously seen.

During the year the Autohorn daily rental business has grown significantly, following the end of the long-standing franchise with Europcar in December 2023. This segment of the Business now has well established partnerships with National providers and a strong customer base across the North Yorkshire area.

The fall in the value of Electric Vehicles has continued to be a challenge as the Business trades out of the remaining vehicles bought at the height of the Electric Vehicle market. Working with suppliers, the Business have now got strategies in place which mean they can still offer Electric Vehicles to customers but have mitigated the risk of value shifts in the second-hand market.

In the last quarter, the Business acquired the vehicles and customers from Meridian Vehicle Solutions Limited. This resulted in the purchase of 166 vehicles and the associated customer contracts. This increased the fleet size by c.20% and widened the Business’s presence in the market. This acquisition also led the Business to working with other leasing companies to provide some of their fleet. This is a change to previous strategies where the Business was focused on B2C and B2B direct relationships. This has been a significant growth area over 2024 and one the Board continue to focus on in the coming financial year.

During the period under review the Business has invested significantly in improvements in the infrastructure to the site at Clifton Moor. This is to both support the growth plans of the Group into 2025 and beyond with anticipation of the wider York Local Plan being approved. This has included investment in improving the space available for car storage and increasing security across the site.

The Board are very optimistic that going into 2025 the Business is in a strong position to continue growing in the two new segments established in 2024 as well as the provision of the core flexible leasing products leading to a wider market presence and a return to historic levels of profitability.

Due to the inherent nature of the business, the company is exposed to the following risks which are mitigated through regular review of management information and day to day involvement of the directors

Interest rate risk

The group finances its operations via its long-term relationships with national financiers. The directors constantly monitor interest rates and pursue advantageous rates wherever possible.

Credit risk

Credit risk is primarily attributed to trade receivables, notably rental arrears or customers defaulting. In order to manage the risks, there is a robust credit checking process in place prior to customer approval and regular review of management reports with specific emphasis on credit limits, payment history and aged debtors. Historic trends suggest the incidence of bad debts is low in relation to turnover.

Liquidity risk

By nature, the group experiences cashflow movements throughout the year. Rolling cashflow projections are prepared regularly for review by the directors and the group maintains a positive cash balance at all times to ensure all liabilities can be settled as they arise.

The directors use a number of key performance indicators to determine effective management, which are as follows:

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024.

The principal activity of the company and group continued to be that of vehicle rentals and associated sale of ex-rental vehicles.

The results for the year are set out on Page 8.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £600,000. The directors do not recommend payment of a further dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The auditor, Josolyne LLP, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the group and company, and of the profit or loss of the group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the group and company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the group’s and company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the group and company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the group and company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the auditor of the company is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor of the company is aware of that information.

We have audited the financial statements of Autohorn Group Limited (the 'parent company') and its subsidiaries (the 'group') for the year ended 31 December 2024 which comprise the consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the consolidated statement of financial position, the company statement of financial position, the consolidated statement of changes in equity, the company statement of changes in equity, the consolidated statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the group's and the parent company's affairs as at 31 December 2024 and of the group's loss for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and parent company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

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 group's and parent 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.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit:

• The information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• The strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and the parent company and their environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report or the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the parent company financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the parent company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the parent company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the entity and its industry, and determined that the most significant are those that relate to breaches of health and safety regulations, data protection, employment laws and tax legislation. We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the financial statements such as FRS102 accounting principles and the Companies Act 2006. We have considered the extent to which non-compliance might have a material effect on the financial statements and also evaluated management's incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of the financial statements.

From our existing knowledge of the company operations together with regular enquiry of management and those charged with governance, we established that the principal risks related to revenue recognition of both vehicle hire and sale of ex-rental vehicles, classification of leased versus owned vehicles, management bias in accounting estimates and management override. Audit procedures were not limited to, but included the following:

• Reviewing a selection of short term vehicle rentals, including associated hire agreements, with specific emphasis on ensuring income is reflected in the correct accounting period.

• Reviewing a sample of ex-rental vehicle disposals and agreeing to underlying documentation or supplier buy back arrangements where applicable.

• Reviewing the vehicles capitalised within the fleet, specifically with regard to ownership rights, delivery dates and finance lease obligations.

• Testing of the banking system to ensure correct application of payments and authorisation of expenditure.

• Review of credit lines with funders to ensure available headroom.

• Designing our audit procedures in order to incorporate an element of unpredictability around the nature, timing or extent of our testing.

• Identifying and testing journal entries to consider the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments.

• Assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of potential bias, and evaluated the business rationale of significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

• Challenging assumptions made by management in making their accounting estimates..

• Reviewing financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the parent company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the parent company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the parent company and the parent company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

As permitted by s408 Companies Act 2006, the company has not presented its own income statement and related notes. The company's profit for the year was £562,653 (2023 - £658,182).

Autohorn Group Limited (“the company”) is a private limited company domiciled and incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Alfies Barn, Wigginton Road, Wigginton, YORK, YO32 2RJ.

The group consists of Autohorn Group Limited and all of its subsidiaries.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

The company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements for parent company information presented within the consolidated financial statements:

• Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;

• Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues: Interest income/expense and net gains/losses for financial instruments not measured at fair value; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;

• Section 26 ‘Share based Payment’: Share-based payment expense charged to profit or loss, reconciliation of opening and closing number and weighted average exercise price of share options, how the fair value of options granted was measured, measurement and carrying amount of liabilities for cash-settled share-based payments, explanation of modifications to arrangements;

• Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.

The consolidated financial statements incorporate those of Autohorn Group Limited and all of its subsidiaries (i.e. entities that the Group controls through its power to govern the financial and operating policies so as to obtain economic benefits). All financial statements are made up to 31 December 2024.

All intra-group transactions, balances and unrealised gains on transactions between group companies are eliminated on consolidation. Unrealised losses are also eliminated unless the transaction provides evidence of an impairment of the asset transferred.

Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by other members of the Group.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Revenue comprises both vehicles rental income and income from the disposal of ex-rental vehicles invoiced during the year, exclusive of Value Added Tax.

Revenue from the disposal of ex-rental vehicles is recognised upon the transfer of legal title of the vehicle which occurs on the invoice date. At the point of sale, the net book value of the vehicle is recognised in cost of sales.

Where invoices for services have not yet been rendered, income is based on delivery of the relevant service.

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the income statement.

At each reporting end date, the group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in the income statement, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

The group has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the group's statement of financial position when the group becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amounts presented in the financial statements when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade payables are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income statement because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax is provided in full on all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of non-current assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessees. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets at the lower of the assets fair value at the date of inception and the present value of the minimum lease payments. The related liability is included in the statement of financial position as a finance lease obligation. Lease payments are treated as consisting of capital and interest elements. The interest is charged to profit or loss so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leased asset are consumed.

In the application of the group’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods. There were no specific issues identified during the review.

An analysis of the group's revenue is as follows:

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the group and company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The actual (credit)/charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected (credit)/charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

Impairment tests have been carried out where appropriate and the following impairment losses have been recognised in profit or loss:

The impairment losses in respect of financial assets are recognised in other gains and losses in the income statement.

The net carrying value of tangible fixed assets includes the following in respect of assets held under finance leases or hire purchase contracts. The depreciation charge in respect of such assets amounted to £1,069,273 (2023: £666,383).

More information on impairment movements in the year is given in note 12.

Details of the company's subsidiaries at 31 December 2024 are as follows:

* The obligations under finance leases are secured on the asset to which the finance relates.

Finance lease payments represent rentals payable by the company for the leasing of their motor vehicles. Leases include purchase options at the end of the lease period, and no restrictions are placed on the use of the assets. The average lease term is between 12 and 24 months. All leases are on a fixed repayment basis and no arrangements have been entered into for contingent rental payments.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where the group or company has a legally enforceable right to do so. The following is the analysis of the deferred tax balances (after offset) for financial reporting purposes:

A defined contribution pension scheme is operated for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the group in an independently administered fund.

The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared from time to time and are entitled to one vote per share at meetings of the Company. All dividends rank equally with regard to the Company's residual assets.

Includes the company's redemption of its own share capital.

Includes all current and prior year period profit and losses. These relate to distributable reserves.

At the reporting end date the group had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows: