Speedee was the McDonald's character replaced by Ronald McDonald as the chain's main mascot in the 1960s.
Speedee was a chef-like figure connected with the original Speedee Service System and the chain's early emphasis on fast service. As McDonald's advertising became more focused on family entertainment, the company shifted toward Ronald McDonald, a clown character designed to appeal directly to children.
This was a change in advertising emphasis rather than the disappearance of every early McDonald's symbol. Speedee had represented operational speed, while Ronald became the central personality of the expanding McDonaldland advertising world.
The character is easily confused with later McDonaldland figures such as the Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese. Those characters were introduced after Ronald's rise and served as supporting figures rather than as his predecessor.