Coys Auction
Ascot Racecourse,
Berkshire SL5 7JX
Saturday 2 October 2010 at 3pm
Sir John Robert Madejski OBE DL has a raft of commercial interests, spanning property, broadcast media, hotels, restaurants, publishing and football.
Madejski is the founder of the magazine which became Autotrader and chairman of Reading Football Club as well as Chancellor of the University of Reading and Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire. He is a benefactor to many institutions, especially in academia, education and the arts.
While on holiday in Florida in the mid 1970s Madejski saw a car sales magazine that included pictures of the vehicles on sale. He immediately realised the potential of the idea, and founded Thames Valley Trader in 1976. Initially the magazine sold anything and everything, from houses to cars and even aircraft, but it soon concentrated solely on vehicles, and was renamed Autotrader. Madejski partnered with the Guardian Media Group in 1982 to give the title national exposure. By 1998, 52 t