General Motors has given Mr. Goodwrench his walking papers. He first showed up for work in 1974 and has gained recognition far beyond most other GM employees. Even Jay Leno found the brand representative suitable to parody in his television shows, inventing “Mr. Badwrench” to communicate many car owner’s experiences.

In the ultra-competitive world of car dealerships, revenue from the service bays is a significant portion of the overall picture. Warranty work is not profitable, but retail service certainly is. Just have a look at the retail service hourly rate. In many places across the country now, it exceeds $100 per hour and has always demanded a premium over private repair shops.

When introduced to the public, Mr. Goodwrench’s job was to convince GM vehicle owners to bring their work to a dealer, so that it would be completed using authorized procedures, by “factory trained” technicians and using genuine GM replacement parts. These points of distinction were the “value added” that authorized dealers brought to the market.

Among marketing campaigns, it was one of the more successful ones, given that most people associate the Mr. Goodwrench name with premium results. In 1996, the brand was changed to become GM Goodwrench Service Plus, dropping the “Mr.” and the human representations.

While some advertising industry opinions don’t think that its a good idea, GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick reportedly wants the vehicle brand names, and not a common corporate idea, to be the stars that people see. As a result, Mr. Goodwrench is being replaced by Chevrolet Certified Service, Cadillac Certified Service, Buick Certified Service and GMC Certified Service.

The underlying message will remain the same – that dealer service is more competent, capable and reliable than the competition. All OEMs are facing increased competition as well as “Right to Repair” legislation in several states. Such bills require manufacturers to provide automobile repair codes and information to local mechanics at a fair price.