This paper describes a new method to estimate the standstill position of permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). The method is based on the anisotropic properties of permanent magnets and is therefore referred to as a magnetic anisotropy method (MAM). It differs significantly from all standard standstill position detection methods previously presented in the literature. It is totally independent of saliency and saturation effects and can therefore be used in many types of PMSMs where the standard methods would fail. The paper fully explains the experimental results and briefly analyzes the physical phenomena behind the method