The increasing applications of new materials such as high strength low alloy (HSAL) steels and aluminum alloy sheets have lead to greater focus on the surface deflections of auto body panels in the automobile industry in recent years. The finite element models of cylindrical shallow shell that can represent auto body panels are established. Numerical simulations of forming and unloading of cylindrical shallow shell are carried out. And a measurement and evaluation method of the surface deflection is introduced. The simulations of surface deflections with various blank holding forces (BHF) show great agreement with the experimental results. The influence laws of sheet thickness and material properties such as yield strength σs, strain-hardening exponent n, anisotropy parameter r and strength coefficient k on the surface deflection are achieved by simulations, which give a basic reference for controlling surface deflections.