The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 March 2026.
The principal activities of F.P. Smith Motors Limited ("the Company") during the year were those of motor vehicle sales, servicing, repairs and parts sales. The Company operates the vehicle sales and aftersales franchise for Nissan, as well as a Fix Auto Accident Repair Centre and an approved Vauxhall Repair Centre.
The Company delivered a resilient performance during the year against a backdrop of continued change and increasing competition within the UK motor retail sector.
The new vehicle market continued to be influenced by the transition towards battery electric vehicles ("BEVs"), with manufacturers balancing regulatory requirements under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate against the underlying level of consumer demand. This contributed to increased manufacturer support and promotional activity, particularly within the BEV market, while the continued emergence of new market entrants added further competitive pressure.
Against this background, the Company maintained its focus on sustainable volume, margin management and disciplined stock control. The used vehicle market remained resilient and continued to make an important contribution to Company performance.
Aftersales continued to provide an important and recurring contribution to profitability, with service, parts and accident repair supporting customer retention and providing a more stable earnings stream alongside vehicle sales. The Company continued to focus on retention initiatives and the development of its aftersales operations.
Turnover for the year was £36.3 million compared with £40.7 million in the previous year. Gross profit was £4.0 million compared with £4.2 million, resulting in an improvement in gross margin from 10.3% to 11.0%. Profit before taxation was £302,050 compared with £467,342 in the prior year, reflecting lower turnover and the continuing competitive and cost pressures affecting the sector.
The Company remains in a sound financial position. At 31 March 2026, net assets increased to £3.3 million from £3.1 million, with cash at bank and in hand increasing to £1.4 million from £0.8 million.
Stock increased to £5.6 million from £3.3 million. The increase was principally due to a change in accounting judgement of certain consignment vehicle stocking arrangements. The Company continues to closely monitor stock levels, ageing, funding and residual value exposure.
The Company continues to invest in its people, technology and operational processes to improve efficiency, customer retention and the overall customer experience.
The principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company include:
Economic conditions and consumer demand: Vehicle demand is influenced by consumer confidence, interest rates, finance affordability and wider economic conditions. The Company seeks to mitigate this risk through a balanced mix of new and used vehicle activities and the recurring contribution from aftersales.
Manufacturer relationships and market change: The Company's activities are dependent upon its relationships with vehicle manufacturers and their finance partners. Changes to franchise arrangements, distribution strategies, vehicle supply and incentive programmes may affect performance. The availability of vehicles and parts may also be affected by disruption within manufacturer and global supply chains. The Company maintains close working relationships with its manufacturer partners and continues to invest in meeting franchise and customer requirements.
Electrification and competition: The transition towards BEVs, regulatory targets and the emergence of new manufacturers continue to change the competitive landscape. Differences between regulatory requirements and consumer demand may result in increased discounting and volatility in vehicle values. The Company manages these risks through disciplined stock management and continued investment in the skills and facilities required to sell, service and repair electrified vehicles.
Vehicle stock and residual values: The Company holds significant new and used vehicle inventory and is therefore exposed to changes in market values. Stock levels and ageing are closely monitored and appropriate provisions are made where expected net realisable values fall below cost.
Costs and employees: Wage inflation and other operating costs continue to place pressure on the Company's cost base, while the recruitment and retention of skilled employees remains important. The Company continues to invest in training, workforce development and operational efficiency.
Regulatory, technology and cyber risk: The Company operates within a comprehensive regulatory environment, including consumer protection, motor finance, data protection, health and safety and environmental requirements. Increasing reliance on technology and digital platforms also creates cyber security and business continuity risks. Appropriate policies, systems and controls are maintained and reviewed regularly.
Further to the risks above, the Company uses financial instruments including manufacturer loans, vehicle stocking facilities, trade debtors and trade creditors in the normal course of its operations. These expose the Company to the following financial risks:
Price risk: The purchase price of new vehicles and parts is principally determined by manufacturers. The Company seeks to manage its exposure through margin and stock management and, where commercially possible, through the recovery of increased costs.
Credit risk: The principal credit risk arises from trade debtors. Credit exposure is managed through customer credit limits, payment history, third-party credit information and regular monitoring of debtor ageing and collection.
Liquidity risk: The Company manages liquidity through cash flow monitoring and by maintaining sufficient cash resources and appropriate funding facilities to meet its foreseeable requirements.
The directors believe the Company's financial key performance indicators are those that demonstrate its financial and operational performance, these being turnover, gross profit, profit before tax, gross profit percentage and return on sales percentage:
|
| 2026 |
| 2025 |
Turnover |
| £36,303,891 |
| £40,706,598 |
Gross profit |
| £4,009,863 |
| £4,176,568 |
Profit before taxation |
| £302,050 |
| £467,342 |
Gross profit % |
| 11.0% |
| 10.3% |
Return on sales % |
| 0.8% |
| 1.1% |
The directors remain positive about the Company's longer-term prospects while recognising that the UK motor retail sector continues to undergo significant change.
Electrification, the growth of new vehicle manufacturers and evolving manufacturer distribution strategies are expected to continue to shape the market. The Company will maintain a disciplined approach to vehicle stock and working capital while continuing to invest in its existing operations, people, technology and customer retention.
The used vehicle market is expected to remain an important contributor to performance, while aftersales remains a key strategic priority, providing recurring revenues and supporting long-term customer relationships. Continued investment in technician capability, diagnostic equipment and the servicing and repair of electrified vehicles will support the Company's development in this area.
As part of the wider F.P. Smith Group, the Company benefits from the financial strength, management resources and established manufacturer relationships of the Group. The directors therefore consider the Company well positioned to manage the continuing changes within the sector and deliver sustainable long-term performance.
On behalf of the board
The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026.
The results for the year are set out on page 10.
No ordinary dividends were paid. The directors do not recommend payment of a final dividend.
The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:
Cooper Parry Group Limited were appointed as auditor to the company and in accordance with section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution proposing that they be re-appointed will be put at a General Meeting.
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 company and of the profit or loss of the company 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; and
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the 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 company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
We have audited the financial statements of F.P.Smith Motors Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 March 2026 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the balance sheet, the statement of changes in equity 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).
Basis for 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 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
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.
Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities including fraud
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
Identifying and assessing potential risks related to irregularities
In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud, we considered the following:
the nature of the industry and sector, control environment and business performance.
any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed the Company’s documentation of their policies and procedures relating to:
identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance,
detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;
the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations; and
the matters discussed among the audit engagement team and involving relevant internal specialists, including tax, and industry specialists regarding how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud.
As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and identified the greatest potential for fraud in the following areas: valuation of used vehicle stocks and recognition of supplier incentives. In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override and irregularities in the recording of revenue recognition.
We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks the Company operates in, focussing on provisions of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included the UK Companies Act and tax legislation.
In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamental to the Company’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. These included the Company’s FCA regulatory requirements.
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.
Our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:
reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;
enquiring of management and those charged with governance concerning actual and potential litigation claims;
in addressing the risk of fraud through inappropriate valuation of used vehicle stocks, assessing net realisable value of stock items sold after the year end was above cost or assessing their value with reference to third party data sources if unsold;
in addressing the risk of fraud through inappropriate recording of supplier incentives, ensuring amounts recorded as due were then subsequently acknowledged as such by the supplier;
in assessing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and assessing whether judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of potential bias.
In assessing the risk of fraud through revenue recognition, testing a sample of sales to ensure recorded correctly, reviewing credit notes issued following the year end and testing cut off has been applied correctly.
There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. Also, the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.
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 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 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 company and the company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
The statement of comprehensive income has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.
F.P.Smith Motors Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Sturrock Way Bretton Way, Bretton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE3 8YL.
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 £.
This 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:
Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;
Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.
The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of F.P.Smith(Holdings)Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from its registered office at Sturrock Way Bretton Way, Bretton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE3 8YL.
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 credited or charged to profit or loss.
Basic financial assets, which include debtors 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 are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.
Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, 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.
Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.
Trade creditors 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 creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.
Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of transaction costs.
Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.
In the application of the company’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.
The following judgements (apart from those involving estimates) have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements.
Vehicles held on consignment that have been delivered have been included within stocks on the basis that the company has determined that it holds the significant risks and rewards attached to these vehicles upon receipt on site.
The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.
The annual depreciation charge for tangible assets is sensitive to changes in the estimated useful economic lives of the assets so these are re-assessed annually and amended when necessary to reflect current estimates.
For motor vehicle stock, provisions have been made for specific vehicles in line with available published industry data and taking into account further anticipated costs to sell. Parts have been provided for at different rates determined by the age of the parts in stock. The amount of the stock provision is disclosed in note 9 to the accounts.
All turnover arose within the United Kingdom.
The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:
Their aggregate remuneration comprised:
The number of directors for whom retirement benefits are accruing under defined contribution schemes amounted to 1 (2025 - 1).
The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:
Included within vehicle stock are consignment vehicles amounting to £1,885,469 (2025: £nil).
The company held £nil of consignment stock at 31 March 2026 (2025: £1,449,471) which is not recorded on the Balance Sheet.
An impairment provision of £63,260 (2025: £52,107) has been recognised against the value of inventory due to slow-moving and obsolete stock.
Included within other creditors is an amount of £1,885,469 (2025: £nil) in relation to consignment stocking facilities.
Included within trade creditors is an amount of £2,019,644 (2025: £1,823,864) in relation to vehicle funding facilities. These amounts are secured directly over the vehicles to which they relate.
The manufacturer loans of £200,000 (2025: £200,000) is secured by way of corporate guarantee and indemnity by the ultimate parent company, F.P.Smith (Holdings) Limited.
The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon:
The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.
No amounts were payable to the fund at the current or prior year Balance Sheet date.
This reserve includes all current and prior period retained profits and losses, less dividends paid.
The company has taken advantage of exemption, under the terms of Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland', not to disclose related party transactions with wholly owned subsidiaries within the group.
On occasion, transactions with Directors may occur for the purchase or sale of motor vehicles and for vehicle servicing. These are always at arm's length.