The invention is directed to a process for the production of a scratch-resistant vehicle coating comprising the following steps:I. applying a top coat layer of colour- and/or special effect-imparting base coat and a transparent clear coat or of a pigmented one-layer top coat onto a prior coating,II. optionally, applying a sealing layer of a transparent sealing coat onto the top coat layer applied in step I andIII. curing the top coat layer applied in step I and the sealing layer optionally applied in step II,wherein the transparent clear coat or the pigmented one-layer top coat and/or the transparent sealing coat contains modified nanoparticles based on an element-oxygen network, the elements are selected from the group consisting of aluminium, silicon, tin, boron, germanium, gallium, lead and transition metals including the lanthanides and actinides and wherein the modified nanoparticles being produced by treating the (unmodified) nanoparticles with compounds of the general formula I Me(ORI).sub.4 and/or the general formula II Me(OCOR.sup.1).sub.4, wherein R.sup.1 means an alkyl, aryl and/or aralkyl residue and Me means zirconium and/or titanium.