5TH GEAR LIMITED
5TH GEAR LIMITED is a UK car and van rental broker/aggregator that connects individual consumers, families, business travelers, and commercial renters with third-party rental providers across 200+ UK airport and city locations through its online booking engine.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersCrieff, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What 5TH GEAR LIMITED does
5TH GEAR LIMITED is a privately held UK car and van rental broker and aggregator, incorporated in Scotland and headquartered at The Old Garage, Mill Hills Farm, Crieff. Founded in 2005 (with the firmographics record citing 2003), the company operates the consumer-facing website 5thgear.co.uk, connecting individual travelers, families, groups, business travelers, and commercial van renters with third-party national car rental suppliers across the United Kingdom. It aggregates inventory from multiple providers at more than 200 pickup/drop-off locations, spanning all major UK airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Stansted, Luton, and others) and city/town branches throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. The platform serves differentiated demographic segments including young drivers from age 21, senior drivers up to 100 years, and commercial users requiring Luton vans with tail lifts.
The company's core product is a web-based quotation and booking engine offering vehicle categories from economy through luxury cars, 7–9 seat MPVs, 15–17 seat minibuses, 4x4s, and a range of vans. The booking technology is delivered through a partnership with Cartrawler (booking engine) in conjunction with Indigo Car & Van Hire Ltd (reservation support), with the platform using ACRISS-standardized vehicle classification codes. Supporting capabilities include DVLA driving licence validation, one-way rental routing, optional insurance add-ons (Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Waiver, excess-reduction products to offset the standard £500 credit-card authorization), and phone-based reservation support (7am–9pm weekdays, 8am–5pm weekends). Pricing is all-inclusive with no hidden extras, covering insurance, road fund licence, airport/location surcharge, 24-hour breakdown cover, and VAT.
5TH GEAR generates revenue through affiliate commissions and brokerage/transaction fees paid by third-party rental providers when customers are referred and complete bookings via the platform; there is no direct charge to the buyer. The go-to-market motion is digital-first, centered on SEO-driven organic search traffic to 5thgear.co.uk, supplemented by affiliate marketing, phone reservations, and social media presence on Twitter and Facebook. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no acquisitions, no app, no headcount data, no management team listed in the source material, and no apparent AI/ML capabilities beyond standard online booking workflows.
5TH GEAR LIMITED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 5TH GEAR LIMITED
- Legal name
- 5th Gear Limited
- Website
- https://5thgear.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 5TH GEAR LIMITED is a UK car and van rental broker/aggregator that connects individual consumers, families, business travelers, and commercial renters with third-party rental providers across 200+ UK airport and city locations through its online booking engine.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
5TH GEAR LIMITED industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vehicle Rental Brokerage
- NAICS
- Passenger Car Rental and Leasing (53211), Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing (5321), Truck, Utility Trailer, and RV (Recreational Vehicle) Rental and Leasing (53212)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Vehicle Rentals (SUVs, Convertibles, 4x4) (THADAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Sedan & Executive Car Rentals (THADAMAB), Luxury SUV & Performance SUV Rentals (THADAMAC)
Keywords
Where 5TH GEAR LIMITED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Crieff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
5TH GEAR LIMITED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Affiliate Commission: 5thgear.co.uk has marketing relationships with car and van rental brokers and publishes 'affiliate links' to external car and van rental brokers, earning commission from rental providers at no cost to the buyer
- Brokerage Fees: The company acts as an intermediary, connecting customers with rental providers and earning a referral/brokerage fee for bookings made through their platform
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | No hidden extras pricing - includes insurance, road fund licence, airport/location surcharge, 24hr breakdown cover, and VAT |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Additional driver charges |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Young driver surcharge |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Excess/deposit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
5TH GEAR LIMITED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
5TH GEAR LIMITED is a UK-based car and van rental broker that operates an online aggregation platform connecting individual consumers and business travelers with third-party self-drive vehicle rental providers. The company offers instant online quotations, secure reservations, and access to a wide range of vehicles (cars, MPVs, vans, minibuses, 4x4s) at airports, city centers, and town locations across the UK, earning affiliate commissions and brokerage fees from rental suppliers.
Product overview
5TH GEAR LIMITED is a UK car and van rental broker offering a comprehensive self-drive vehicle rental platform. The core offering includes car rentals across multiple categories (economy to luxury), van rentals (small to Luton), people carriers/MPVs (7-9 seats), minibuses (15-17 seats), and 4x4 vehicles. The company acts as an intermediary connecting customers with national car rental suppliers through an online booking engine powered by Cartrawler. Additional services include one-way rentals, insurance products (CDW, Theft Waiver, Extra Insurance), and special programs for young and senior drivers. The platform aggregates vehicles from multiple rental providers to offer UK-wide coverage at airports, city centers, and towns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Car Rental (Standard) Self-drive car rental across the UK offering vehicles from 2-5 seats across economy, compact, intermediate, standard, full-size, premium, and luxury categories. Available to drivers from 22 years old.
Companies that use 5TH GEAR LIMITED
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
5TH GEAR LIMITED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
5TH GEAR LIMITED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Indigo Car & Van Hire LtdcoreAs of 08/06/2018, 5th Gear supports a UK based car reservations company Indigo Car & Van Hire Ltd. Indigo provides support desk with telephone and email that responds quickly, helping customers find vehicles from car rental locations around the UK. 5th Gear directs customers to Indigo's booking engine for reservations support.
- CartrawlercoreCartrawler provides the booking engine for 5th Gear's car hire price comparison and reservations. When customers check prices and press the quote button, they are directed to Cartrawler's booking engine in conjunction with Indigo car hire.
- Various Airport Car Hire Providerscore5th Gear aggregates car rental services from multiple car hire providers at UK airports and city locations. These include providers at Heathrow (8 providers), Gatwick (9 providers), Manchester (9 providers), Edinburgh (8 providers), and many other locations across the UK.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
5TH GEAR LIMITED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kayak: Travel meta-search engine (Booking Holdings) covering flights, hotels, and car hire. Aggregates car rental supply including in the UK — overlapping with 5th Gear but as part of a much wider portfolio.
- Sixt: Global car rental company with strong UK airport presence offering direct rentals. Competes with brokers like 5th Gear by encouraging direct bookings via its own brand, loyalty, and app experience.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Major direct car rental brand with extensive UK presence at airports and city locations. Represents the kind of direct supplier whose own booking channels increasingly compete with brokers like 5th Gear.
Direct peers
- DiscoverCars: Car rental aggregator operating across multiple geographies with broker-style relationships to rental suppliers. Same fundamental business model as 5th Gear — online comparison, third-party fleet, commission-based.
- Rentalcars.com: Booking Holdings-owned global car rental aggregator and broker. Operates the same intermediary model — connecting consumers to third-party rental suppliers via an online booking engine and earning commission — making it the most directly comparable peer to 5th Gear.
- AutoSlash: Car rental price comparison and discount-tracking platform. Operates as a broker intermediary similar to 5th Gear, focusing on transparent pricing and discount stacking across rental suppliers.
- CarRentals.com: Expedia-owned car rental comparison and aggregator site. Operates the same broker model as 5th Gear — sourcing from multiple suppliers, comparing prices, earning commission per booking.
- Holiday Autos: Long-established UK-focused car hire broker offering airport and city rentals across multiple suppliers. Operates an almost identical value proposition to 5th Gear: aggregator, UK-centric, third-party fleet, all-inclusive pricing.
- EconomyBookings: Online car rental aggregator with broad supplier network. Competes head-to-head with 5th Gear in the self-drive broker category, especially for UK airport and city rentals.
Others
- Cartrawler: Both 5th Gear's technology partner and an aggregator in its own right. Cartrawler powers the booking engine for 5th Gear while also running its own consumer-facing car rental comparison and white-label services to other travel brands — a direct overlap with 5th Gear's offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
5TH GEAR LIMITED social profiles
Digital presence5TH GEAR LIMITED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
5TH GEAR LIMITED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
5TH GEAR LIMITED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
5TH GEAR LIMITED M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 5TH GEAR LIMITED
What does 5TH GEAR LIMITED do?
5TH GEAR LIMITED is a UK-based car and van rental broker that operates an online aggregation platform connecting individual consumers and business travelers with third-party self-drive vehicle rental providers. The company offers instant online quotations, secure reservations, and access to a wide range of vehicles (cars, MPVs, vans, minibuses, 4x4s) at airports, city centers, and town locations across the UK, earning affiliate commissions and brokerage fees from rental suppliers.
Is 5TH GEAR LIMITED a public or private company?
5TH GEAR LIMITED is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 5TH GEAR LIMITED founded?
5TH GEAR LIMITED was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 5TH GEAR LIMITED based?
5TH GEAR LIMITED is headquartered in Crieff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 5TH GEAR LIMITED make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Commission is the primary driver. The others are brokerage Fees.
Who are 5TH GEAR LIMITED's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kayak, Sixt and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Direct peers are DiscoverCars, Rentalcars.com, AutoSlash, CarRentals.com, Holiday Autos and EconomyBookings. Cartrawler is listed as an others.
Does 5TH GEAR LIMITED have an API?
No public API is recorded for 5TH GEAR LIMITED.
What industry is 5TH GEAR LIMITED in?
5TH GEAR LIMITED's product category is Vehicle Rental Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THADAAAH, Specialty Vehicle Rentals (SUVs, Convertibles, 4x4), with a secondary code of THADAMAB, Luxury Sedan & Executive Car Rentals. Its NAICS code is 53211 and its SIC code is 7510.