History of Toyota

Two weeks ago at the New York Auto Show, Toyota unveiled quite the list of modifications to their entire 2015 line up, Camry included. Touted as the “big minor change” and not a completely new generation, we thought it’d be fun to turn the clock back and see just how the Toyota Camry has evolved over the years into what it is today.

In 1983, the Camry was introduced as a replacement to Toyota’s Corona.  Their goal: To establish a presence in the market Honda’s Accord was dominating at the time. Motivated by the competition, engineers at Toyota sought to build a bigger and better vehicle than any Honda available at the time. Their work paid off, and they ended up with a car that’s wheelbase was nearly 6 inches longer than that of the Accord, meaning more legroom for back-seat passengers.  Its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine also had a leg up on the Accord’s 1.8-liter unit.  Only, the 83’ Camry wasn’t an ugly car per se, but it wasn’t exactly eye-catching either. 

Four years later, in 1987, the first year of the Camry’s second generation began.  Many improvements were made to the model over the next five years to ensure the car had a place among households across the globe. Another notable event was the opening of the Georgetown, Kentucky Plant that was responsible for producing the first American-made Camrys in 1988. 

By 1991, the International Camry models outside of Japan were set to diverge from the company’s V series (a model made with the narrow roads of Japan in mind).  Toyota opted to cater towards overseas driver’s fondness for larger cars, resulting in the completely redesigned XV series, beginning with the XV10.  The compact nature of older models was now a thing of the past as the XV ushered in a new era for the Camry in America.  Perhaps the biggest adjustment was to the car’s aesthetic design, which was now more aerodynamic, with rounded contours that provided a nice transition from the previous squarer, more rigid-looking models.  

From then on, the XV20-XV40 generations of Camry would each go through five-year life cycles during which adjustments were made to lower emissions, provide more spacious interiors, improve engine performance, and much more. 

The XV50 generation was introduced in August of 2011 and was put on the market only a month later.  Intensive changes were made on the car’s interior while the exterior underwent a more angular styling and received an all-news sheet metal.

This brings us back to the 2015 model.  With an upgraded exterior from the 2014, every body panel, aside from the roof, has been altered on the Camry for a sportier and sleeker appearance.  With a cabin that has been similarly upgraded with higher quality materials and more modern layout, it’s looking like the upcoming Camry will be better than ever. After all, there’s a reason why approximately one out of every fifty families owns one. 

Toyota is planning on releasing EPA mileage figures and pricing at a later date.  Visit our website for more information.