Abstract: A starter contactor for a motor vehicle comprises a movable contact element of electrically conductive material, the displacements of which are controlled from a rest position to an active position in which it connects electrically the heads of two fixed power contact terminals, at least one of which is connected electrically to an auxiliary fixed contact element with which the movable contact element cooperates so as to connect the movable contact element with the associated fixed power contact terminal in a position intermediate between the rest and active positions.

Abstract: A reversible electric motor has two pairs of brushes, a separate pair for each direction of rotation. The mean diametrical positions of the two pairs are fixed with respect to the motor's stator and angularly offset. The brushes of the one or the other pair, exclusively, are selected for application against the commutator as a function of the selected direction of rotation. Preferably a rotatable cam is arranged to lift the brushes of the non-selected pair from the commutator and insulating segments are inserted between the lifted brushes and the commutator. To simplify wiring, adjacent brushes, one from each pair, may be electrically connected together. Both pairs of brushes may advantageously be lifted from the commutator during motor reversal to eliminate risk of short-circuiting the commutator and also to interrupt supply of power thereto.