A drive cable for actuating a vehicle element which is movable with respect to a vehicle design, which can have a cable body having a flexible cable core which is wrapped with a spiral, which follows a helical line so as to become engaged with a gearwheel. At least three longitudinal ribs or crosspieces can be formed along the periphery of the cable body, said drive cable being able to support itself in a cable guide via said longitudinal ribs which form at least mostly continuous guiding lines and contact lines of the drive cable, each having the same distance all around to the cable axis. Alternatively, an elastically or plastically malleable cable jacket can be provided which engages over the cable core and the spiral and which forms a cylindrical and rib-free peripheral surface of the cable when the cable core is stretched.