Hippo said:

It was said that during the Freelander press launch one of the reporters said the Freelander looked like a hippo (not me) and LR picked up on this and used it in their advertising.

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Hippo said:

It was said that during the Freelander press launch one of the reporters said the Freelander looked like a hippo (not me) and LR picked up on this and used it in their advertising.

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Volusia said:

The real reason, and I got this from the CEO of Landrover, following the original launch, was the many hip hip hip Hoorays the Freelander got when first rolled out.
This sound from the motoring fraternity was wrongly interpreted by members of a delegation of the Japenese press, who always cut Engish words short. The Ray part of the cheer being dropped leaving the bit they could get ther tongues round and, 'Hippo' was reported throughout the Far East as the name of the then new concept car.
It's understandable really, as the word 'Ray' is not even attempted by our oriental cousins, even the name Land Rover is again pronounced only half right and comes out as 'Landlovah.
Over there they also have the:-
Landlovah Lephenda, and The Wayne Wovaha
I daren't translate how the ever popular magazine, 'My Favourite Truck' monthly comes across!
So there we have it, the official reason the 'Hippo' was thus named, honest!

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Hippo said:

bollox ound:

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