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MARCO WERMAN: That may be the question, but is it the right question. Clotaire Rapaille is a cultural anthropologist and marketing expert who's worked with U.S. auto makers. He's in Palm Beach, Florida. Dr. Rapaille, do you think we need to think more like Europeans or the Japanese when it comes to our cars?

CLOTAIRE RAPAILLE: No, I don't think so and beside the point, I think this is impossible. American will never think like European and they will never think like the Japanese?

WERMAN: Why not?

RAPAILLE: Why, because we have a totally different culture, a totally different culture code.

WERMAN: And describe that culture code.

RAPAILLE: Well, you see, for example, I'm a new American and I love America and, you know, I choose to become an American. I'm very proud of it. America is big. Can you imagine going across the country with your whole family in a little smart car? I mean, this is ridiculous. It's impossible. I mean, in American mind, you know, when do you make enough money? Never. When is your house big enough? Never. When is your car big enough? Never. I mean, this is the American mind. And we're not going to become Japanese. We are the expert in redefining everything. When you have a family and you have three kids and two dogs and, you know, you need room for that, and then you want to be able to go west young man and drive for a while, and you. And so all that is part of the American spirit. Now, you want to do it with respect for the environment for sure, and you want that fuel efficiency, of course. So there is no contradiction here.

WERMAN: Can cars really be big and fuel efficient?

RAPAILLE: Of course. I mean, of course it is. We were able to go to the moon. Don't tell me we cannot do that. I was the other day in Germany and driving on the Autobahn in Germany at 150 miles per hour with a Mercedes diesel car and I drove for almost two days and I didn't have to fill up the tank. The fuel efficiency was incredible.

WERMAN: Dr. Rapaille, I mean, as a marketing expert you know that the Mini Cooper was introduced with a lot of clever marketing and fanfare in this country and it did catch on pretty well.

RAPAILLE: Yes, absolutely and I have one, by the way.

WERMAN: So, why do you think Americans are just not going to take to smaller cars?

RAPAILLE: Because the Mini Cooper is not a small car. This is a [SOUNDS LIKE] raw missile of Germany. I know a guy that is a single man and he has a Mini Cooper and a Hummer. So you see the category is not size. The category is strong, high density and I have been fighting with the people in Detroit. I say, "Stop making [SOUND LIKE] generator cars and if the only thing that is available is generator cars, then the Japanese are better quality. So I go to the Japanese.

WERMAN: Well, I've got to say I'm heartened to hear that you believe the big American car shouldn't die because I actually love driving them even though I feel a little guilty driving them, but why haven't the big Detroit auto makers kind of cottoned onto this and tried to develop a big car that's also fuel efficient?

RAPAILLE: Detroit, they thought that okay, the European did it, the Japanese did it so we have to try to copy the European and the Japanese, and in the same time they told me, "You know, we are in America here. You either make dust or eat dust." And the Detroit people have been eating dust for so long, they just try to catch up with the European, catch up with the Japanese. This is not the way you create the best car for America. You create the best car for America because you listen to what people want.

WERMAN: But a lot of people equate loud and big with arrogance.

RAPAILLE: I would transform arrogance into proud. You know, it's not arrogant to be successful. You want to be successful. We have a Cadillac that just tried to be a Cadillac. Come on. I mean, if you are a Cadillac, you are free to be a Cadillac. You're proud and so we have to reconnect with this notion of being proud to be an American. I've done a lot of work in America recently about the Comeback Kid. We are the Comeback Kid in America, and I think Detroit can be the Comeback Kid. They have to take one brand, one American brand and come back with it strong connecting with the American spirit.

WERMAN: You talk about the Comeback Kid. I mean, beyond his political role, how important is President Obama himself to this kind of cultural, industrial moment for the American auto industry.

RAPAILLE: I believe that this is a good moment to do it. This is a good moment for America to Comeback. I mean, Obama is an incredible symbol of something that has been accomplished in America that cannot be accomplished anywhere else in the world. You know, I was born and raised in France. We will never see an African being president in France. Forget it. Again, America has proven to be the land of new break through, hope, going to where nobody has gone before. I mean, I believe in that. I really believe in that. That's why I'm here. Crises are the best time to connect with people, you know. And so, I think this is a right timing for an incredible return for Americans and American companies worldwide if they understand how to use this fantastic moment, that's the moment for the Comeback Kid.

WERMAN: Clotaire Rapaille is a cultural anthropologist and the owner of Archetype Discovery Worldwide. Thank you very much.

RAPAILLE: My pleasure.

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