Appointed representative
This firm does not hold FCA authorisation of its own, and acts under a principal firm, which is legally responsible for its regulated business.
- Appointed for 12 years
- Protected through the principal
- No FCA actions
- Active company since 2004
- Accounts filed up to 31 March 2026
Responsible principal firm
Automotive Compliance Limited Reference number: 497010 View firm →What does this mean?
- An appointed representative (AR) can carry out regulated financial services, but is not directly authorised by the FCA. A principal firm holds the authorisation and is legally responsible for the AR's conduct.
- Free Spirit Automotive Limited (FRN 615700) is an AR of Automotive Compliance Limited (FRN 497010). When you use Free Spirit Automotive's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
- Example: if you take financial advice from Free Spirit Automotive, complaints and compensation usually follow the same rules as dealing with the principal, but this depends on the product and your circumstances.
- Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.
Website, phone number and address
Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.
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Phone number
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Address
1 Firbank Way, Chartmoor Business Park, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 4YP, United Kingdom
In the full report: 3 background checks
- When fscarsales.com first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
- What kind of line 01525 372626 is
- Who else gives the postcode LU7 4YP
FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Protection through the principal firmProtection works through Automotive Compliance Limited, the principal firm responsible for this firm's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
- Complaints Ombudsman, freeYou can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.
FCA disciplinary action and complaints
No FCA disciplinary action.
The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.
Companies House record
The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.
- Company number
- 05044429 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 16 February 2004 (22 years old)
- Registered office
- Matches the FCA register address ✓
- Nature of business
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- Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles (SIC 45112)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Philip Charles Derbyshire | Director | Sep 1977 | 16 Feb 2004 | 2 other companies |
| Rachel Derbyshire | Director | Jun 1978 | 1 Jan 2025 | None |
| Philip Sydney Derbyshire | Director | Feb 1948 | 1 Apr 2026 | None |
| James Philip Charles Derbyshire | Secretary | Not published | 16 Feb 2004 | 2 other companies |
Other companies run by these 3 directors
A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.
- other companies
- 2
- closed down
- 1
- still active
- 1
In the full report: all 2 companies, named
- What each company does, and whether it is still trading
- Which of these 3 directors sit on each board, and since when
- Any that went into liquidation or administration
- All 6 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
Filed accounts and finances
Turnover
£6.28m
Not compared: the previous accounts cover a different length of time
Profit before tax
£151k
Not compared: the previous accounts cover a different length of time
Net assets
£547k
+12% from £488k
Cash at bank
£0
−100% from £67.4k
Assets and liabilities
In the full report: all 7 years of accounts
- Every year from 2020 to 2026
- The chart, over every year
- Every filed figure, year by year
About these figures
- Turnover
- Money taken from sales in the year, before any costs.
- Profit before tax
- What was left after the year’s costs, before corporation tax. A minus figure is a loss.
- Net assets, or total equity
- Everything the company owns minus everything it owes. A minus figure means it owes more than it owns.
- Total assets and total liabilities
- Everything the company owns, and everything it owes, on the last day of the year. The gap between them is its net assets.
- Cash at bank
- Money in the company’s accounts on the last day of the year.
- Owed within a year, owed after a year
- Debts and bills due in the next twelve months, and those due later.
Accounts filed at Companies House for company 05044429. Every figure is as filed, apart from total assets and total liabilities, which are added up from filed figures. Nothing is estimated.
Key dates in its history
Free Spirit Automotive’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2016
6 April 2016
- Jamie Derbyshire gained significant control
Companies House
2014
11 February 2014
- Became an appointed representative
FCA register
2004
16 February 2004
- Incorporated at Companies House
Companies House
In the full report: all 12 events
- All 12 events in its history (3 shown here)
- Every director appointment and resignation: 9
Firms like Free Spirit Automotive
Other firms of the same type (car dealer), nearest first.
In Leighton Buzzard
Firms are listed by type and location, best known first. Being listed is not a recommendation: check any firm before you deal with it.
Get the full report on Free Spirit Automotive
Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.
- 2 other companies its directors have run, named
- 3 background checks on its contact details
- 7 years of accounts, charted
- All 12 events in its history
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Frequently asked questions about this firm
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Sources and links
- Its entry on the FCA register register.fca.org.uk
- Its Companies House record gov.uk
- Complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service can help with financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Report a scam to the FCA fca.org.uk