Structure for side section of vehicle body

A vehicle body side part structure including a side panel outer member for covering a side of a vehicle body from the outside, wherein the side panel outer member includes:

• an upper frame section formed of an ordinary steel sheet and having a roof rail section and a rear panel section formed integrally with each other, the rear panel section including a rear fender panel;
• an L-shaped lower frame section formed of a high-tensile steel sheet and having a front pillar lower section, an elbow section, and a side sill section formed integral with one another;
• the upper frame section having a first end and a second end opposite to the first, and the lower frame section having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end of the lower frame section;
• a side panel outer frame section is formed by joining the first and second ends of the lower frame section and the first and second ends of the upper frame section, respectively, such that the first and second ends of the lower frame section are joined to inside surfaces of the first and second ends of the upper frame member;
• the elbow section being located between the front pillar lower section and the side sill section and having an outer surface formed flat from the front pillar lower section to the side sill section;
• and
• a side sill garnish formed separately from the side sill section and covering the side sill section, the side sill garnish having an outer surface made continuous with an outer surface of the fender panel.

A vehicle body side part structure including an inner side member provided on a side of a vehicle body and a side panel outer member covering the inner side member from the outside thereof, there being a closed section formed by the inner side member and the side panel outer member, wherein the side panel outer member comprises a side sill section extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, a front pillar lower section extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle body and formed integrally with the side sill section via an elbow section, an inner flange and an outer flange joined to the inner side member and formed continuously with the front pillar lower section, the side sill section, and the elbow section, and a substantially rectangular reinforcing member disposed in the elbow section and in the closed section, wherein the reinforcing member is provided with an inner joint portion formed at one corner of the substantially rectangular shape and joined to the inner flange, and an outer joint portion formed at another corner opposite the one corner and two edges on either side of the corner and joined to the outer flange, and the outer joint portion joined to the outer flange is formed in a substantially radial shape centered at the inner joint portion joined to the inner flange,

• wherein the outer joint portion of the reinforcing member is offset laterally inward from the inner joint portion, and the reinforcing member has a ridgeline formed so as to protrude toward the side panel outer member and disposed in a central area extending substantially radially from the inner joint portion toward the outer joint portion, and a reinforcing bead is formed astride the ridgeline.