The device has a drive motor (30), which via a gear drives a gear wheel (33), which is connected to a sleeve (40) through which an adjusting bolt (44) is inserted. The adjusting bolt (44) can be coupled to the sleeve (40) via a set of teeth (43, 48) in the direction of rotation about its longitudinal axis (17), and the coupling of the adjusting bolt (44) is secured by an axially prestressed spring (57) engaging it. A connecting element (16) pivotably connected to the headlight part to be adjusted is coupled in the direction of rotation to the adjusting bolt (44), and the adjusting bolt (44) is displaceable relative to this connecting element in the direction of the longitudinal axis (17). The adjusting bolt (44) is displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis (17) counter to the prestressing of the spring (57), so that it is uncoupled from the sleeve (40) and is rotatable relative to the sleeve (40) via an actuating element (58). A rotation of the adjusting bolt (44) is transmitted to the connecting element (16), and a basic setting of the range of the headlight independently of the drive motor is made possible.