If a successive lighting operation inhibition mode is not set up, a pointer portion of a speed meter is lighted, and then a peripheral ring portion of the speed meter is lighted. On the other hand, if the successive lighting operation inhibition mode is set up, the peripheral ring portion and the pointer portion are lighted at once. Subsequently, if a sweep operation inhibition mode is not set up, a sweep operation of a meter pointer in the pointer portion is performed. Thereafter, a nameplate portion is lighted. On the other hand, if the sweep operation inhibition mode is set up, the nameplate portion is lighted instantly without performing the sweep operation.
An operator control element for motor vehicles includes a fixed base body, a handle which is mounted so as to be capable of rotating about an axis in the base body, display windows which are arranged radially around the axis, and an illumination device for illuminating at least one of the display windows. The illumination device has a plurality of light sources which are arranged radially around the axis of the handle on the fixed base body and can be switched individually. A lightguide element is permanently connected to the handle and has a light input face, which is successively moved past the light sources when the handle rotates, and a light output face, which is assigned to a photosensitive element. The photosensitive element is connected to an electronic circuit for evaluating the output signal of the photosensitive element, it being possible to determine a rotary position of the handle by successively switching the light sources and evaluating the output signal of the photosensitive element.
