Drive assembly for an external rear mirror in a vehicle

The assembly (1) has a housing (5) comprising an aperture, and a bracing ring (6) provided with support contours (21) and arranged in projections of a gear wheel (8). A contour (16) of an annular projection (15) and the support contours of the ring are adapted to one another such that the projections of the gear wheel rest on the support contours of the ring in a driving position. The gear wheel is axially raisable in response to a clearance of the gear wheel for receiving force of a compression spring (12), the ring and the housing portion for releasing a lock when a motor is energized.