Abstract: A reluctance motor with a squirrel-cage external rotor has a magnetically active yoke cross-section which is narrowed over the bottom of the rotor slots at least in the pole middle. In a small region corresponding only to part of the pole pitch and located around the pole middle series of non-magnetic portions are provided in the rotor yoke. The stator winding of the motor is provided as a machine-wound winding with one coil for each pole and phase.