Overview

A successful business sought to acquire two new Rolls-Royce Spectres through a newly established Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), allowing the vehicles to sit within the wider business structure rather than being owned personally.

Although the business had substantial financial strength and experienced directors, the newly incorporated LLP presented challenges under standard lending criteria. Bridford worked closely with a specialist commercial lender to structure a solution that aligned with the client’s commercial objectives while recognising the strength of the wider business.

The Requirement

The directors wished to purchase two fully electric Rolls-Royce Spectres through a newly formed LLP as part of a long-term ownership and tax planning strategy.

Structuring the vehicles through the business provided a number of potential advantages, including keeping the assets within the corporate structure, supporting wider financial planning and taking advantage of the tax treatment available for qualifying zero-emission vehicles. Depending on a business’s individual circumstances and professional tax advice, this can include enhanced capital allowances and the favourable Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) regime currently available for fully electric company cars.

The challenge was that the LLP had no trading history, meaning many mainstream lenders would automatically decline the application based solely on age of business.

Our Solution

Rather than relying on automated lending criteria, Bridford took a more considered approach.

Following detailed discussions with the client, we identified a specialist commercial lender with experience in assessing complex ownership structures and newly established business entities.

Working collaboratively with both the lender and the client, we presented the wider commercial picture rather than focusing solely on the LLP’s trading history. A bespoke funding structure was agreed with:

• 20% customer deposit
• Four-year funding term
• Strong retained future values aligned to the vehicles
• Individual personal guarantees provided by each director for their respective vehicle

This structure allowed the lender to recognise the financial strength and commitment of the directors whilst achieving the client’s preferred ownership model.

The Result

Both Rolls-Royce Spectres were successfully funded through the newly established LLP, allowing the directors to achieve their preferred corporate ownership structure without compromising on flexibility or commercial objectives.

By taking a relationship-led approach and working closely with a specialist lender, Bridford was able to secure a funding solution that many conventional underwriting models would have been unable to support.

The result was a tailored finance structure aligned with the client’s wider business strategy, demonstrating the value of specialist expertise when standard lending criteria do not tell the full story.