In this paper we prove the existence of a weak solution of the incompressible 2D Euler equations in the exterior of a reflection symmetric smooth bluff body with symmetric initial flow corresponding to vortex sheet type data whose vorticity is of distinguished sign on each side of the symmetry axis. This work extends the results proved for full plane flow by the authors in [M.C. Lopes Filho, H.J. Nussenzveig Lopes, Z. Xin, Existence of vortex sheets with reflection symmetry in two space dimensions, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 158 (3) (2001) 235-257]. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.2291154171