Ford, Fisher-Price Introduce Power Wheels Smart Drive Mustang -- Most Advanced Power Wheels Ever

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 23, 2016 – Ford and Fisher-Price^® worked closely together to create the new Power Wheels^® Smart Drive^™ Mustang – a realistic and high-tech, fast and fun battery-operated ride-on toy. The officially licensed Smart Drive Mustang is designed to delight budding performance enthusiasts with original pony car-inspired looks and performance, and it’s packed with safety features sure to make parents happy, too.

Fisher-Price developed the scaled-down car, available in blue or pink, from real Ford design data. The result is an amazingly realistic Mustang – sized just for kids – that captures the spirit, style and high-tech features of the V8-powered Mustang GT their parents could drive.

“Mustang is one of our best-selling sports cars,” says Gary Collins, senior manager of design, Power Wheels. “For the Smart Drive Mustang, we wanted to amp up the realistic driving experience to make the feeling of getting behind the wheel even more thrilling for kids.”

The Smart Drive system is new for Power Wheels vehicles. At its core is the brand’s first computer-controlled powertrain, which opens up a world of features that make this Power Wheels Mustang a lot like the full-sized car:

Traction control: The computer can monitor for wheel slip and adjust motor speeds to help keep the car going over wet grass or bumpy terrain
Stability monitoring: A tilt sensor can detect when the car is reaching dangerous angles, turning off the motors to prevent rollovers
Digital speed control and battery monitoring: A backlit LED touch interface can allow parents to easily control top speed, from 1 mph to 5 mph, and check battery charge level
Slow start and stop: Instead of a simple on/off behavior, motors can now ramp speed up or down – for fast starts and short stopping distances

Perhaps most fun of all is the built-in sound system. It features engine sounds recorded from a real Mustang, which rise and fall with vehicle speed – just like a real car. An auxiliary input jack allows kids to play their own music on the biggest speaker ever installed in a Fisher-Price product.

Smart Drive Mustang is now on display at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. It will be available at retail in December for an MSRP of $359.99. Visit www.PowerWheels.com to find a retailer.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough electric vehicles along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 174,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Fisher-Price

In 1931, Herman Fisher and Irving Price embarked on a journey to change the toy industry. Their goal: creating playthings that inspire a child’s development. More than 85 years later, Fisher-Price remains deeply rooted in the belief that play is the way children learn best. To this day, understanding the importance of play in building a child’s skills is the fundamental principle, as the company strives to enrich the lives of families with young children around the globe. United by the passion for a child’s safe care and development at each age and stage, the people of Fisher-Price work tirelessly to bring families the best toys and baby products in the world. Some of the company’s best-known brands include Laugh & Learn^®, Little People^®, Power Wheels^®, and Imaginext^®, and it’s also a leading developer of character-based toys for children’s programming such as Thomas & Friends^™, Blaze and the Monster Machines and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Fisher-Price is a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT). For more information, visit www.fisher-price or connect with Fisher-Price on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.