The Camry nameplate first appeared on the Celica Camry, a four-door sedan that went on sale in Japan in January 1980 and was based on the Toyota Carina rather than the Celica despite the name. The independent Camry model line launched in March 1982 with the V10 series, offered as both a sedan and five-door liftback, and was exported to Australia, Europe, and North America. A twinned model, the Toyota Vista, launched simultaneously and was sold through separate Toyota Vista Store dealerships in Japan.
Development of the V10 began in 1977 in the wake of the oil crises, with Toyota prioritising front-wheel drive, lighter construction, and improved fuel efficiency. The car adopted a transversely mounted engine and front-wheel drive — a first for Toyota — and competed directly against the Honda Accord and the front-drive compact cars from General Motors. American sales began in March 1983; by 1985 the Camry had sold 128,000 units in the United States.
The V20 series arrived in 1986 with station wagon and hardtop sedan body styles joining the sedan, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky began producing the Camry for the American market in May 1988 — the company's first wholly-owned plant in the United States. A wider international XV10 series followed in 1991, developed separately from the Japan-only V30 to satisfy demand from North American customers for a larger car. The XV10 was positioned as Toyota's second "world car" after the Corolla.
Successive generations — the XV20 (1996), XV30 (2001), XV40 (2006), XV50 (2011), XV70 (2017), and XV80 (2023) — progressively grew the car in size, specification, and market reach. The XV40 introduced the first Camry Hybrid using Toyota's second-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive in 2006. The XV50 was the first generation without a manual transmission option. The XV70, built on the GA-K platform, was introduced at the 2017 North American International Auto Show and offered a 2.5-litre four-cylinder producing 203 horsepower or a 3.5-litre V6 producing 301 horsepower.
The XV80, unveiled in November 2023, is the first Camry generation not available in the Japanese domestic market, and the first to be sold in North America without a pure petrol engine option.
The Camry has been the best-selling passenger car in the United States every year since 2002, and also held the title from 1997 to 2000. In Australia it has been a consistent best-seller since 1993. In several Asian and Middle Eastern markets the Camry occupies a premium segment, positioned as a near-luxury vehicle and Toyota's flagship alongside the Land Cruiser.
A badge-engineered sibling, the Holden Apollo, was sold in Australia from 1989 to 1997 through the United Australian Automobile Industries joint venture between Toyota Australia and General Motors-Holden's. The Lexus ES, launched in 1989, originated as a close derivative of the Camry hardtop sedan platform, a relationship that continued across subsequent generations.
Sales of the Camry in Japan ended in late 2023 after 43 years, the result of declining domestic demand for traditional sedans.
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