Apparatus and method for automatically controlling a vehicle speed

Control device for a motor vehicle, comprising: - a vehicle speed detector (2, 21) for detecting a vehicle speed; - an inter-vehicle distance detector (1, 11) for detecting an inter-vehicle distance from the subject vehicle to another vehicle driving ahead, - a target Fahrzeuggeschwindigkeitsberechner (50) for calculating a target value of vehicle speed, depending on which a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance is made coincident with a target value of the inter-vehicle distance; - a vehicle speed controller (5), wherein the vehicle speed control responsive to the calculated target value of the vehicle speed and generates an operation command and outputs to control the vehicle speed such that the detected value of the vehicle speed is made to coincide with the calculated target value of the vehicle speed; - a changing actuator (3, 4, 6) for the vehicle speed, wherein said changing actuator for the vehicle speed to the operation command from the vehicle speed control responsive and the vehicle is operated so that the vehicle speed is changed so that the detected value of vehicle speed according calculated with the target value of the vehicle speed; and - a lateral acceleration detector that detects a force acting on the vehicle body lateral acceleration; marked by - a corrector for the target vehicle speed, wherein the for the target vehicle speed reduces a value of an acceleration when the vehicle accelerates according to the acceleration of the preceding vehicle in a case where the lateral acceleration, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected by the lateral acceleration detector when the preceding vehicle during vehicle travel to follow the other vehicle, accelerates.