McDonald's original hamburger-selling mascot introduced in 1948 was Speedee.
Speedee was based on a stylized chef figure and represented the McDonald's Speedee Service System, the restaurant's early method for producing food quickly. The character appeared in early signs and promotional materials before Ronald McDonald and the wider McDonaldland cast became central to the brand.
The name is sometimes confused with Speedy Gonzales, a Warner Bros. cartoon character, but Speedee was a McDonald's-specific mascot. Speedee also reflected the restaurant's original emphasis on speed and standardized preparation rather than the family-oriented fantasy branding used later.
McDonald's later shifted its visual identity toward the Golden Arches. That change did not mean Speedee had never existed; it marked a transition from an operational promise—fast service—to a highly recognizable architectural and corporate symbol. The early Speedee identity is therefore an important bridge between the restaurant's drive-in origins and its modern global branding.