Apparatus for operating a motor vehicle

In a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine for driving said vehicle, a transmission, a normally present, conventional flywheel means coupled between said engine and said transmission for equalizing the non-uniformities of engine output torque, first clutch means arranged between said flywheel means and said transmission for permitting shifting of transmission gears, a second, controllable clutch means arranged between said engine and said flywheel means for automatically interrupting the coupling between said engine and said flywheel means and for re-coupling said flywheel means to said engine as a function of engine operating conditions, wherein said first and second clutch means comprise a clutch housing;

• the improvement comprising:
• starter-generator means having rotor means rigidly connected with said flywheel means for rotation therewith and stator means rigidly connected with said clutch housing, wherein said rotor means comprises a toothed, windingless rotor arranged on the periphery of said flywheel means in the form of a rim, and wherein said stator means comprises a direct current exciter current winding, a generator winding and a motor winding.