A steel part with regions of different ductility is made by first loading the part onto a heatable rack and then heating the rack with the part on it in a furnace to a temperature above the AC3 point of the part. The part is then removed from the rack and loaded while still above the AC3 point into a press where it is shaped and hardened. In the press the part is engaged by tools that deform it and that cool it quickly to well below the AC3 point. Finally, before the rack has cooled substantially, the shaped and hardened part is taken out of the press and placed on the rack with predetermined regions of the part in heat-conducting engagement with the rack such that the ductility of the predetermined regions is increased by transfer of the residual heat from the rack to the predetermined regions.