An electrically heatable starter catalytic converter (5) has a metallic housing (6) in which is arranged the actual catalyst (7) exposed to the exhaust gas flow, an electric resistance heating (8) and an electric connection line (10) that enters the housing (6) through an opening (9). The invention is characterised in that the electric connection line (10) is a metal-clad cable with at least one inner lead (11) electrically insulated from the metal cladding by a mineral (13). The inner lead (11) frictionally engages the electric resistance heating (8), and the metal cladding (12) enters the metallic housing (6) through the opening (9) and is welded or soldered to the edge of the opening (9) in a gas-tight manner.