Abstract: A self-supporting structural element for cladding, decorating, protecting and/or sealing housings or bodywork of vehicles with at least one axial end which is integrally molded without any transition and is made up of a strip or panel-like synthetic plastics body having webs bearing on the housing and which includes an integrated reinforcement of hard material and also softly resilient bearing elements, the reinforcement consisting of narrow strips of metal plate coated with a hard synthetic plastics material and of a mineral fiber reinforced material or a hard synthetic plastics material which on the inside of the webs of the structural element which bear on the housing or the like are connected to these latter in the same substance and which have at least one lip of softly resilient material which bears on the housing or the like.