The invention relates to an electric machine (10), in particular a generator for a motor vehicle, comprising an exciter system composed of a plurality of electrically excited salient poles. The salient poles can be designed within the stator (16) or rotor (20) in the form of electromagnetically excited poles (22, 23; 24, 25) which are axially and radially oriented on the periphery and are alternatively polarized in the peripheral direction. In order to improve performance and reduce the magnetic leakage flux, permanent magnets (66), which are secured by means of a magnetically non-excitable holding element (60), are inserted into interstices (74) between the alternating poles (24, 25). The holding element (60) is bilaterally mounted in pole grooves (92, 94), is radially, axially, and tangentially resilient, and has a wave-shaped (62) and/or bead-shaped (76, 78; 86) profile.