FOLDING EXTERIOR MIRROR FOR A VEHICLE

A rear-view mirror for a vehicle is described, said mirror having a mirror base (1; 101) and a mirror housing (10; 102) which can be folded forwards and rearwards relative to the mirror base out of a position of use and is held on the mirror base by means of a rocker (20; 120), the rocker being mounted at one end (26; 135) on the mirror base and at the other end (28; 127) on the mirror housing. In order essentially to exclude the risk of injury by fingers being trapped between the folding-back mirror housing and the mirror base and to eliminate uncontrolled swinging of the folded down mirror housing, it is provided that at least one expansion spring (40; 110; 116), whose ends engage on one component (17) fixed to the mirror housing and on one component (39) fixed to the mirror base, acts on the mirror housing (10; 102) to move it into a folding end position defined by a stop (39, 144).