A method for press forming an automotive outer panel using a punch (3,13,23,33) having a ridgeline (3a,13a,23a,33a), a die having a valley line facing the punch (3,13,23,33), and a blank holder facing ends of the die to press form a metal sheet into the automotive outer panel having a character line formed by the ridgeline (3a,13a,23a,33a) and the valley line and panel surface portions (65a,65b) continuous with both sides of the character line, the method characterized by: providing an elastic body (9,15,25,35) to the punch (3,13,23,33) such that the elastic body (9,15,25,35) abuts against the metal sheet away from a portion corresponding to the character line in the metal sheet, the elastic body (9,15,25,35) press forming one of the panel surface portions (65a,65b) and protruding toward the die beyond a punch-side forming surface portion (3b,3c;13b,13c;23b,23c;33b,33c); an elastic body abutting step of abutting a contact surface portion (9a,15a,25a,35a) of the protruding elastic body (9,15,25,35) against the metal sheet by relatively moving the die toward the punch (3,13,23,33) with both ends of the metal sheet held between the die and the blank holder; and a character line forming step of forming the character line with the ridgeline (3a,13a,23a,33a) and the valley line by further relatively moving the die toward the punch (3,13,23,33) while abutting the contact surface portion (9a,15a,25a,35a) of the protruding elastic body (9,15,25,35) against the metal sheet to deform the elastic body (9,15,25,35) such that the elastic body (9,15,25,35) becomes flush with the punch-side forming surface portion (3b,3c;13b,13c;23b,23c;33b,33c) at a bottom dead center of forming, wherein a protrusion amount of the elastic body (9,15,25,35) from the punch-side forming surface portion (3b,3c;13b,13c;23b,23c;33b,33c) is set such that the elastic body (9,15,25,35) contacts the metal sheet before the ridgeline (3a,13a,23a,33a) of the punch (3,13,23,33) contacts the metal sheet to cause the metal sheet to become plastically deformed. providing an elastic body (9,15,25,35) to the punch (3,13,23,33) such that the elastic body (9,15,25,35) abuts against the metal sheet away from a portion corresponding to the character line in the metal sheet, the elastic body (9,15,25,35) press forming one of the panel surface portions (65a,65b) and protruding toward the die beyond a punch-side forming surface portion (3b,3c;13b,13c;23b,23c;33b,33c); an elastic body abutting step of abutting a contact surface portion (9a,15a,25a,35a) of the protruding elastic body (9,15,25,35) against the metal sheet by relatively moving the die toward the punch (3,13,23,33) with both ends of the metal sheet held between the die and the blank holder; and a character line forming step of forming the character line with the ridgeline (3a,13a,23a,33a) and the valley line by further relatively moving the die toward the punch (3,13,23,33) while abutting the contact surface portion (9a,15a,25a,35a) of the protruding elastic body (9,15,25,35) against the metal sheet to deform the elastic body (9,15,25,35) such that the elastic body (9,15,25,35) becomes flush with the punch-side forming surface portion (3b,3c;13b,13c;23b,23c;33b,33c) at a bottom dead center of forming, wherein a protrusion amount of the elastic body (9,15,25,35) from the punch-side forming surface portion (3b,3c;13b,13c;23b,23c;33b,33c) is set such that the elastic body (9,15,25,35) contacts the metal sheet before the ridgeline (3a,13a,23a,33a) of the punch (3,13,23,33) contacts the metal sheet to cause the metal sheet to become plastically deformed.