A protecting member comprises a pair of right-and-left brackets extending obliquely downward and forward from front portions of a pair of right-and-left side frames and a stiffener extending in a vehicle width direction below a bumper beam and attached to front ends of the brackets. The stiffener has a closed cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, and an upper face of its central portion in the vehicle width direction has a concaved portion. A lower face of the stiffener extends horizontally substantially straightly. It is preferable that the closed cross section of the central portion of the stiffener be configured such that its vertical distance is relatively small and its longitudinal width is relatively large, compared with the other part of the stiffener.