McDonald’s earliest mascot was named Speedee.
Speedee was a chef-like character used in McDonald’s branding from 1948. He represented the “Speedee Service System,” the streamlined production method introduced by Richard and Maurice McDonald at their San Bernardino restaurant.
The Speedee image usually showed a smiling chef with a hamburger-shaped head and the letter “M” on his apron. The character communicated fast service before the Golden Arches became McDonald’s dominant visual symbol.
Speedee is sometimes confused with later McDonald’s characters, especially Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar. Ronald became the company’s best-known character in the 1960s, while Speedee belonged to the restaurant’s earlier identity and was eventually replaced by the arches.