The Pep Boys Tune Up Image by Losing Cigar : Advertising: The company stubs out the familiar stogie in its logo to coincide with the Great American Smokeout.

One of America’s familiar stogies has been stubbed out.

Since the Roaring Twenties, a beaming, bespectacled likeness of Emanuel (Manny) Rosenfeld has peered out from advertisements for the Pep Boys--Manny, Moe & Jack.

And in the corner of Manny’s mouth, for all these decades, was a fat cigar. This was, after all, an auto parts and service chain, and in the world of greasy overalls and grimy fingernails, a cigar is not out of place.

Besides, Manny smoked one until his death in 1959.

But now, to coincide with today’s Great American Smokeout, the company is getting rid of Manny’s cigar.

“That’s great,” said Dr. Stephen Weiss, president of the Philadelphia division of the American Cancer Society. “After 70 years of constant tobacco use, this is a very positive step. I guarantee it will clean his intake valves and provide more pep for the Pep Boys.”

“The decision was based on our desire to promote a healthier image for employees and customers,” said Fred Stampone, senior vice president of the company, which started in Philadelphia in 1921. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”

The change will be seen in coming weeks in print advertising, he said.

The Pep Boys logo has been around since the ‘20s, smiling caricatures drawn by Harry Moskowitz. That’s Manny on the left, Maurice (Moe) Strauss in the middle and, on the right, Moe’s brother, Izzy.