Vehicular exterior break-away mirror assembly

A break-away vehicle exterior rearview mirror system which is suitable for use in a vehicle, includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly including a movable portion and a fixed portion, which is adapted for mounting the movable portion to a vehicle. The movable portion includes a reflective element housed in a movable portion. An exterior rearview mirror assembly further includes a pivot member with the movable portion being pivotally mounted to the fixed portion by the pivot member for pivoting about a pivot axis from a normal operating position to a break-away position closer to the side of the vehicle. The fixed portion includes a first engagement element, with the movable portion including a second engagement element. Either the movable portion or the fixed portion generates resilient force, with the engagement elements being urged into releasable engagement with each other by the resilient force to thereby engage the movable portion with the fixed portion about the pivot axis. The second engagement element releases from the first engagement element to permit the movable portion to pivot about the pivot axis when an external force having sufficient magnitude is applied to the movable portion to overcome the resilient force, which is generated by the movable portion or the fixed portion. In addition, one of the engagement elements flexes when external force is applied to the movable portion.