Sheet metal workpieces are preheated to a temperature in the range of about 100° C. to about 500° C. for warm forming between press-actuated forming dies. The forming dies are not heated, but are coated with a liquid lubricating material suitable for the forming of the preheated sheet metal workpiece. For example, the liquid lubricating material is suitably a halogenated hydrocarbon that will adhere to unheated die surfaces and serve in the forming of the sheet metal workpiece into a vehicle body panel or other product. But the liquid lubricating material is composed so as to evaporate from surfaces of the formed workpiece at a temperature below about 200° C., so that the workpiece does not have to be cleaned before it is decoratively finished. The lubricant material may be vaporized, for example, into a warm stream of air or nitrogen and carried to a recovery or disposal system.