Abstract: A method for making structural automotive components and the like provides a strip of high strength steel having a selected thickness. A predetermined thickness of a metal coating, such as nickel, is applied to the opposite faces of the steel strip. The coated steel strip is cut to form a blank. The blank is heated in a generally open atmosphere to a temperature in the range of 800° C. to 1000° C. within less than ten minutes, thereby diffusing at least a portion of the metal coating a predetermined distance into the faces of the steel strip portion of the blank to alleviate scale formation, and simultaneously raise the temperature of the blank for hot forming the same. The heated blank is hot formed in a pressing tool, and cooled therein to heat treat the formed component through microstructure phase change, without substantial scale formation, such that the component need not be descaled prior to post-form processing and/or assembly in a vehicle.