A meter for a motor vehicle includes a meter case 4 for protecting components of the meter which are incorporated therein, and a front cover 9 composed of a prism which is a part of a convex lens and provided in front of the meter case 4. A dial plate 5 of the meter has an outer contour in a substantially elliptical shape so that a virtual image of the dial plate as seen through the front cover 9 may look like a substantially perfect circle. Since the virtual image of the dial plate 5 is expanded in a vertical direction due to magnification inherent in the prism 9, the dial plate 5 formed in a substantially elliptical shape will be deformed into a substantially perfect circle in sight.