Method of manufacturing a multi-component compound lightweight vehicle body part, comprising the following steps: providing a light metal outer shell member (1; 13) having a preformed final geometry sheet portion and, at least at a part of the periphery thereof, an overhang forming a hemming flange; providing at least one light metal inner structural member (2; 16) having, at least at a part of its periphery, at least one flange portion; placing the outer shell member (1; 13) into and clamping it to an assembly fixture of an automated assembly station, said automated assembly station comprising at least one hemming unit and at least one shielding gas laser beam welding unit; hemming the hemming flange of the outer shell member by said hemming unit; joining to the outer shell member (1; 13) the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) fed to the said automated assembly station, the flange portion of the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) contacting the hemming flange of the outer shell member (1; 13); inseparably connecting the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) to the outer shell member (1; 13) by shielding gas laser beam welding of the flange portion of the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) to the hemming flange of the outer shell member (1; 13) by said laser beam welding unit at an energy rate of not more than 0.8 kJ/m and at speeds of greater than 2m/min, the hemming operation and the laser beam welding operation being performed in the one automated assembly station with the outer shell member (1; 13) remaining in the one assembly fixture through both, the hemming operation and the laser beam welding operation; removing the assembled multi-component lightweight vehicle body part from the automated assembly station. providing a light metal outer shell member (1; 13) having a preformed final geometry sheet portion and, at least at a part of the periphery thereof, an overhang forming a hemming flange; providing at least one light metal inner structural member (2; 16) having, at least at a part of its periphery, at least one flange portion; placing the outer shell member (1; 13) into and clamping it to an assembly fixture of an automated assembly station, said automated assembly station comprising at least one hemming unit and at least one shielding gas laser beam welding unit; hemming the hemming flange of the outer shell member by said hemming unit; joining to the outer shell member (1; 13) the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) fed to the said automated assembly station, the flange portion of the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) contacting the hemming flange of the outer shell member (1; 13); inseparably connecting the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) to the outer shell member (1; 13) by shielding gas laser beam welding of the flange portion of the at least one inner structural member (2; 16) to the hemming flange of the outer shell member (1; 13) by said laser beam welding unit at an energy rate of not more than 0.8 kJ/m and at speeds of greater than 2m/min, the hemming operation and the laser beam welding operation being performed in the one automated assembly station with the outer shell member (1; 13) remaining in the one assembly fixture through both, the hemming operation and the laser beam welding operation; removing the assembled multi-component lightweight vehicle body part from the automated assembly station.