Vehicle ditch molding

A vehicle comprising:

• a first vehicle body panel defining a portion of a roof ditch and having a first side wall;
• a second vehicle body panel defining another portion of the roof ditch and having a second side wall in opposed relation to and spaced from the first side wall;
• the first and second side walls being convergent extending from a bottom of the roof ditch toward a roof ditch opening;
• and
• a roof ditch molding including a head extending outward from a ditch molding centerline and covering the roof ditch opening;
• a stem extending from the head along the ditch molding centerline, being narrower than the roof ditch opening, and extending into the roof ditch;
• and a pair of wings extending outward from the stem in opposed directions relative to the ditch molding centerline, each of the wings having an upper surface facing the head and an opposed lower surface, and each of the wings having a wing lower notch extending into the wing lower surface defining an inner living hinge extending between the respective wing lower notch and the corresponding upper surface, with one of the lower surfaces being in frictional engagement with the first side wall and the other of the lower surfaces being in frictional engagement with the second side wall.

A vehicle ditch molding for insertion and retention in a recess formed between a first vehicle body panel and a second vehicle body panel, the vehicle ditch molding comprising:

• a head extending outward from a ditch molding centerline and configured to cover an opening to the recess;
• a stem extending from the head along the ditch molding centerline and configured to be narrower than the opening to the recess;
• and
• a pair of wings extending outward from the stem in opposed directions relative to the ditch molding centerline, each of the wings having an upper surface facing the head and an opposed lower surface, and each of the wings having a wing lower notch extending into the wing lower surface defining an inner living hinge extending between the respective wing lower notch and the corresponding upper surface, wherein each of the wings includes a wing upper notch extending into the wing upper surface defining an outer living hinge extending between the respective wing upper notch and the corresponding lower surface, each of the wing upper notches being spaced farther from the ditch molding centerline than the wing lower notches, and wherein the head, the stem and a first portion of each of the wings adjacent to the stem are made of a first material having a first stiffness, and a second portion of each of the wings, extending from the respective first portions, are made from a second material having a second stiffness that is less than the first stiffness.