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HP Forum Archive 19

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OT: For Sale: Bill Hewlett’s 1987 Chevy Suburban
Message #1 Posted by Steve Leibson on 21 Mar 2010, 11:44 a.m.

Just blogged this on my EDN blog:

There was an oddity inside of an oddity in today’s San Jose Mercury News. First, there was a real classified section. The Sunday paper looked bulkier than usual, one of my bellwether signs of economic health here in Silicon Valley. I very, very rarely look at the classified section of the newspaper any more, but I did today. Still not sure why. However, in the auto classifieds, under “Customs and Classics,” I spotted this ad:

“Chevy 1987 Suburban Custom Bill Hewlett’s Deluxe 20. An all-original 1987 Chevy Suburban with only 28,000 miles! Previously owned by Bill Hewlett, founder of Hewlett-Packard. This truck is in excellent condition and has been garaged for 23 years. 208-721-8572.”

A quick Google shows the same ad in a few online classifieds. Sometimes, the asking price is $30K. Other times, no price is listed. Area code 208 is in Idaho. Actually, it’s all of Idaho although a little more Googling shows that this phone number is in Ketchum, Idaho. In fact, it seems to belong to a company called “Wood River Igloos.”

Here’s an unprecedented opportunity for those collectors of rare HP paraphernalia to own something possibly owned by Bill Hewlett. Sure, it’s not his HP 35 calculator, but it’s much, much bigger! I haven’t called Ketchum to verify any of this information. I don’t have room for a Suburban in one of my condo parking spots and it’s not really my kind of vehicle anyway. However, I’ll bet someone out there wants it. I wonder if it really was his and how it got to Idaho. Must be a good story there.

      
Re: OT: For Sale: Bill Hewlett’s 1987 Chevy Suburban
Message #2 Posted by Martin Pinckney on 21 Mar 2010, 6:26 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Steve Leibson

Just think - one of you guys (gal) with the huge HP collection could install shelves and take it on a tour as a traveling museum.

Maybe you can find some of Bill Hewlett's shirts at a garage sale somewhere...

Edited: 21 Mar 2010, 6:28 p.m.

      
Re: How Bill Hewlett's 1987 Chevy Suburban came to be in Ketchum, Id. (sheer fantasy).
Message #3 Posted by Hal Bitton in Boise on 22 Mar 2010, 1:52 a.m.,
in response to message #1 by Steve Leibson

So, Bill had driven up to visit the printer division headquarters at the beautiful HP campus here in Boise. He then continued on up to Ketchum/Sun Valley for some skiing (he was an avid outdoorsman, after all). An urgent situation developed, which required his immediate return to Palo Alto. The HP corporate jet was dispatched to the resort to pick him up, where he had to leave his Suburban with a friend. Bill never got around to retrieving the SUV.

Hey it makes a good story, and it could have happened that way. 8)
Hal.

            
Re: How Bill Hewlett's 1987 Chevy Suburban came to be in Ketchum, Id. (sheer fantasy).
Message #4 Posted by Walter B on 22 Mar 2010, 1:57 a.m.,
in response to message #3 by Hal Bitton in Boise

d:-) Don't deliver this story to the seller! d;-)

            
Re: How Bill Hewlett's 1987 Chevy Suburban came to be in Ketchum, Id. (sheer fantasy).
Message #5 Posted by sylvandb on 23 Mar 2010, 9:57 a.m.,
in response to message #3 by Hal Bitton in Boise

I'd bet the chevy was used on his Idaho ranch (just around the corner from Ketchum).

      
Re: OT: For Sale: Bill Hewlett’s 1987 Chevy Suburban
Message #6 Posted by Etienne Victoria on 22 Mar 2010, 5:40 p.m.,
in response to message #1 by Steve Leibson

Was the truck garaged in the now famous "Hp Garage" ?

if this is the case, how could this precious relic (The Holy Truck) be proposed to sale without it's original box (aka The Not less Holy Garage :-)

A true Hp collector should not accept this situation :-)

Okay...I'll go back to my Hp-67...

Etienne


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