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 Earlier it was the European ones that meant more value for money, even after a couple or more of years of use. The American ones were and still are not so well built to stand up to the rigours of time.

The Japanese and Korean cars have made inroads into the developed and developing economy markets. These are also getting pretty good resale demand and resale values.

I would like to discuss about the relevance of the country of origin viz. French,Czech, German,British, American, Japanese,S.Korean and whether we can still count upon this factor for the car to last and to retain its value in the second hand car market???

For me the German, British, Japanese and also S. Korean cars retain their values. It is also the carmaker's image, as one who makes long lasting cars, that counts a lot. 

It doesn't have to do with the country of origin necessarily, even though German cars do tend to fare well. A Ferrari will not only retain its value but in many cases increase it. A Porsche not so much so as they are not as upmarket and rare as hand-made Ferraris are. BMWs fare comparetively well because they are perceived as well made, quality products that remain desirable throughout time. Why is a 320i more desirable than an Alfa 159 I still don't know, even though I concede that the Bavarian car is likely to have less niggles over the (more beautiful adn exclusive) Milanese. Bottom line is that it has to do with the model and manufacturer and not the country of origin; after all Caymans and Cayennes are built in Finland!

how can you tell the country of origin short of looking on the V5?  even BMW have factories in South Carolina!  So much for Germanic quality!

 

First generation Mercedes M Class were rubbish and very badly built in the USA so yes it does matter sometimes.... 

 

Yes it appears that thumb rules don't exist for such conclusions. It is on a case to case basis and the particular make/model vis a vis the country of origin added to other miscellaneous factors can help one arrive at a conclusion.