A method and apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle body assembling line including a floor main assembling unit for positioning a plurality of floor main components and jointing the positioned floor main components to assemble a floor main, a body side assembling unit for positioning a plurality of body side components and jointing the positioned body side components to assemble a body side, and a vehicle body assembling unit for positioning the body side and the floor main and jointing the positioned body side and the positioned floor main to assemble a vehicle body. The pushing forces applied to respective positioning points set on the body side are measured when the vehicle body assembling unit positions the body side with respect to the floor main. A pattern of distribution of the measured pushing forces is compared with a pattern of distribution of predetermined pushing forces required to push the respective positioning points of the body side when each of the floor main components is placed at a position deviated from a predetermined position to estimate at least one floor main component which is positioned incorrectly in the floor main assembling unit. Position errors are estimated from respective standard equations based on the pushing forces measured for the estimated floor main component. Each of the standard equations defines a predetermined relationship between a pushing force and a corresponding position error. The floor main assembling unit is controlled to eliminate the estimated position errors.
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