A vehicle is armored the steps of sequentially making a steel plate with a thickness of 4 mm to 15 mm of by weight TABLE-US-00001 0.2 to 0.4% carbon, 0.3 to 0.8% silicon, 1.0 to 2.5% manganese, max. 0.02% phosphorous, max. 0.02% sulfur, max. 0.05% aluminum, max. 2% copper, 0.1 to 0.5% chromium, max. 2% nickel 0.1 to 1% molybdenum, 0.001 to 0.01% boron, 0.01 to 1% tungsten, max. 0.05% nitrogen, and balance iron and impurities. This plate is heated to above the AC.sub.3 temperature and deformed without cooling in a press. While still in the press, the steel plate is cooled and cured. Then the deformed and cured steel plate is taken out of the press and mounted on the motor vehicle without significant further working or shaping.