“Introducing the family Camry”
The Toyota Camry debuted in the middle of the 1983 model year, in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback models. Instead of designing it to compete with European manufacturers, Toyota designed the Camry to compete with American cars. In fact, Car and Driver famously wrote that “the Camry drives as if Buick engineers had moonlighted on its development.” The Camry’s measurements split the difference in size between the GM J-body (Buick Skyhawk, Cadillac Cimarron, Chevrolet Cavalier, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Pontiac 2000) and the GM X-body (Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Citation, Oldsmobile Omega, and Pontiac Phoenix).
Power for the first-year Camry was provided by a 92 bhp 2.0 liter/122 ci inline four with fuel injection, which was available with either a standard five-speed manual or an optional four-speed automatic. With the manual, 0-60 mph came in a little under 13 seconds in the 2,236-pound car. Mileage was good—32 city/44 highway by the day’s standards (25/31 by modern measures). With a 13.8-gallon gas tank, a Camry owner could expect a 350 to 420 mile range with a 10% fuel reserve.
Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $7,988 (about $26,400 in today’s dollars—a 2025 Camry starts at $29,000) Deluxe sedan included tinted glass, front wheel drive, rack-and-pinion steering, power-assisted front disc/rear drum brakes, and 185/70R13 steel-belted radial tires (a size still available from Kumho and Vredestein) on 13-inch styled steel wheels. Inside, reclining front cloth bucket seats with adjustable headrests, an electric rear window defogger, and a quartz analog clock were included.
Upgrading to the $9,698 LE made the four-speed automatic standard and added tungsten halogen headlights, dual outside mirrors with powered remote control, power steering with variable assist, full instrumentation, a fold-down rear seat armrest, a digital quartz clock, and an AM/FM stereo radio with five speakers and an automatic power antenna.
Options, Period Reviews, & Production Numbers
Individual options were relatively few and included aluminum alloy wheels, dual-stage air conditioning ($630), and a power sunroof with maplight ($460). A Power Package included cruise control, power locks, and power windows.
The first-generation Camry was well received and got good reviews—the tagline in Car and Driver‘s test was “At home in America.” 52,651 were sold in that first model year, with sales increasing steadily throughout the decade.
The View From 2025
Unlike other Toyotas that are deemed more collectible from the eighties (Land Cruisers, pickup trucks, Celicas, Supras, MR2s), first-generation Camrys rarely come up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, or on Bring a Trailer.
Make mine Deep Maroon Metallic, please.
Other Toyotas I’ve written about include the 1980 Corolla Tercel Liftback, the 1981 Celica Sport Coupe, the 1982 Celica Supra hatchback coupe, the 1984 Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe, and the 1985 MR2 coupe.
Last updated December 2025.
Eighties Cars 