John Antonaki, a Tube-train driver on the Piccadilly line, lives in North London with his black 1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
He has had a variety of classic cars – including a Daimler Double-Six and S2 Jaguar XJ12 – and a similar-vintage Shadow before this one, with which he is very happy indeed.
He still has all the brochures he collected in the 1970s from the London dealers and Earls Court shows; going back much further, he owns the Ladybird books he was given as a child.
“When I was a kid, I collected lots of these books because they were two shillings and sixpence, and my mum would buy them from the Co-op,” he says.
Tube-train driver John poses with his collection of classic Ladybird books
John even learned to read using Ladybird’s Peter and Jane series.
The Peter and Jane books didn’t feature many cars in them, though, other than the MkI Ford Zephyr owned by the titular heroes’ parents.
“Obviously my favourite was The Ladybird Book of Motor Cars,” says John.
“I think the first one I saw was the 1966 edition, when I was four. It was the first to have the Silver Shadow in it; I’ve since realised the artwork was copied from a press photo – as most of the illustrations were.”
The Ladybird Book of Motor Cars ignited John’s passion for all things automotive
