A frame for a vehicle roof of the type having a roof opening in a fixed vehicle roof surface and a cover for closing the roof opening and a device for displacing the cover to a position at least partially opening the roof opening by at least one of sliding and lifting motions, has two lateral side parts which are made of metal and extend in transversely spaced apart relationship to each other, parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, an injection molded synthetic plastic front part to which corner parts, serving as transition areas to the lateral side parts are directly molded, and at least one cross member interconnecting said lateral side parts. The lateral side parts have guides for cover guide members which support the cover for displacement therealong and which cooperate with a drive unit at the front part via pressure-resistant drive cables. Guide tubes for the pressure-resistant drive cables are at least partially embedded into the molded material of the front part. The construction of the frame facilitates a building block method of assembly, especially when the side parts are formed of continuous light metal extrusion profiles that can be trimmed to length.