A body structure for a two-door type automobile including a roof rail extending along each side of a roof panel, a side sill extending along each side of a floor panel, a center pillar having an upper end connected with the roof rail and extending substantially downwardly therefrom, a rear fender panel having a substantially vertically extending front edge portion which is bent transversely inwardly of the body structure to form a stepped configuration complementary to a rear edge configuration of a side door adapted to be mounted on said body structure, an inner panel having a front edge secured to the front edge portion of the rear fender panel and a rear edge also secured to the rear fender panel to form a lower pillar of closed cross-section, the lower pillar being connected at an upper end with the center pillar and at a lower end with the side sill.

A vehicle body of the convertible or targa type and the method of converting such a body from a sedan type vehicle body in which a reinforcing structure is disposed within the passenger compartment and is fastened thereto to form a centrally extending structural channel member extending longitudinally within the passenger compartment and having forward and rearward transverse portions fastened to the forward and rearward suspension supports of the body to transmit torsional and beaming loads imposed on the vehicle body by the ground engaging wheels.

An automobile body side structure including a front side outer panel and a rear side outer panel. The front side outer panel defines a side door opening and formed with a rear pillar reinforcement at the rear end of the side door opening. The rear side outer panel includes a rear fender outer panel section and a rear pillar outer panel section formed at the front edge portion of the rear fender outer panel section. A rear pillar inner panel is welded to the rear pillar outer panel section at the front and rear edge portions with the rear pillar reinforcement panel section interposed therebetween to form a rear pillar of a closed cross-section.

A center pillar includes an upper member 2 and a lower member 3. The upper member 2 is joined by welding to the lower member 3, such that the upper member 2 is positioned inwardly relative to the lower member 3 in a transverse direction of a vehicle body and is inclined rearward relative to the lower member 3 in longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In addition, an upper end portion of the lower member 3 has an end face that faces transversely outward and inclines downwardly. A reinforcement plate 6 extends to an upper end portion of the upper member and is joined thereat to the upper member for reinforcement of a state in which the lower member 3 is joined to a side sill 5.

A roll-formed door beam is provided for a vehicle which has an elongated shaped including a hat shaped portion and one to two looping portions. The hat shaped portion includes an upper flat surface for attachment and downwardly extending sides. The looping portions includes a bottom flat surface for attachment and looping sides which loopingly extend backwardly toward the base of the hat shaped portion. The looping sides cooperate with the side of the hat portion to stabilize the beam during flexure thus increasing the strength to thickness ratio of the beam.