Drive device for a roof component of a vehicle

A drive device for a roof component of a vehicle, such as, for instance, a sliding roof and a solar protection roller blind, may have an electric motor which for activating the roof component interacts with a gearbox. The electric motor here is an external rotor electric motor of a flat construction mode which is aligned so as to be parallel to the installation height of the drive device in a vehicle roof and which has a wheel-shaped external rotor which by way of a toothing provided on the external circumference of the latter engages with the gearbox.