The 1997 Toyota Camry Was The Birth of Beige

"Blake Noble" (no-bull) 02/14/2014 at 20:39 • Filed to: None

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For a period of five years, between 1991 to 1996, it wasn't a Japanese automaker responsible for building America's best selling mid-sized car. Instead, Detroit's own Ford Motor Company proudly held that distinction with the Taurus until its third-generation ovaloid redesign proved to be too avant-garde and expensive for its sensible suburban buyers to stomach.

Now orphaned, these consumers packed up their chinos and cardigans and began looking for a new four-door family sedan that didn't look like a rejected mutant from a Ridley Scott film. Lucky for them, Toyota had a car conveniently waiting in the wings. Just as Ford began alienating buyers, the fourth-generation Camry debuted for the 1997 model year, ushering in the birth of a new beige-painted era.

Unlike the Taurus, the new Camry was conventional, reasonable, unassuming and compliant. As a result, Toyota easily grabbed the sales crown from the Taurus that year and held on to it until 2001, when it was dethroned by the Honda Accord by a narrow margin. When the fifth-generation model rolled out in 2002, Toyota's reign of beige resumed, lasting twelve consecutive years so far.

How did it become the darling of every American driveway, exactly? That's actually a hard question to answer if you watch the promotional video above because it certainly doesn't reveal how it possessed any sort of actual advantage versus its competitors. Toyota didn't contrast it against the Accord or whatever the hell General Motors was building, and only made a weak attempt to criticize the Taurus by allowing the owner of a first-generation model to share why she thought the then-new Camry was better than what she had been driving. Yeah, you would hope a brand-new car would be better than another car that was at least several years old at the time.

Toyota instead opted to illustrate that it was better than the model that had preceded it. Again, what's so significant about that? What made Toyota suddenly think it deserved an ice cream trip to Baskin Robbins for doing what every other kid in the class had accomplished? All of the standard equipment highlighted in the promo — like the front and rear cupholders and extendable sunvisors ( really, Toyota?) — wasn't exactly impressive either.

So the car that made the Camry a household name clearly wasn't remarkable. But this promo film is curiously remarkable due to the fact that everything seems to be beige. Seriously. The whole thing is a nine minute love letter devoted to mediocrity and the blandest color known to man and it's creepy. The Camry is (big surprise here) beige, every environment the car is filmed in is beige, there even seems to be some sort of a beige filter on the video itself.

I know what color I'm going to see haunting my nightmares tonight.

(Video from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

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HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Blake Noble 02/14/2014 at 20:50

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The first car I ever drove on a road was a Gold 98 Camry V6. I was 15 and my Mom's friend asked me to move her car, from my parents drive way to the back yard. we lived on a corner so that meant pulling out onto a highway, and turning onto another road then driving to our back driveway. When I got back in the house I found out she was kidding, and I wasn't actually supposed to move it.

EL_ULY > Blake Noble 02/14/2014 at 20:55

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Drive Free or Die.
I'd gladly take a clean low miles 96-01 Camry over any in my German fleet. Maybe not a couple years ago but now heck yeah. Somethings be become more apparent later in life. You can have fun in any car man. We can nevercast a stone to any car. We as Jalops/OPPOs have to support all motoring over the JK Trotters of the world. Drive Free or Die, forever and always.

Takuro Spirit > Blake Noble 02/14/2014 at 22:12

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Hey man, I LOVE my extendable (beige) sunvisors. Surely a luxury in 1998, some cars TODAY do not even sport them.

Blake Noble > Takuro Spirit 02/14/2014 at 22:22

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Extendable sunvisors are indeed awesome, but I don't know if they qualify as luxury items. My 1998 Chevrolet S10 and 1998 GMC Sonoma both had them and I wouldn't call either truck "luxurious" by any means, unless if maybe you were comparing them to a truck stop bathroom.

Blake Noble > EL_ULY 02/14/2014 at 22:25

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You can have fun in any car, yes. But some beasts are created more equal than others.

Listen, I don't absolutely hate the Toyota Camry. In fact, I feel sorry for most Toyotas I see because I know most of the people who own them also horribly neglect them.

EL_ULY > Blake Noble 02/14/2014 at 22:54

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I've been working on cars since I was 15, from a gas station service center in a tiny town to a restoration shop and high end dealerships. Lexus Master Tech, Volvo Master tech, ASE Master with L1, and Mercedes, Lotus, and Aston Martin front end specialist. Everyone that drives every brand neglects their vehicles from what i've seen dude. I can go all day about what I've seen people do with their cars, from Sentra's to DBS. There are plenty tales of bad Camry owners just on math alone (sales). Not everyone is out looking for "steering feel" It shouldn't bother you buddy. Drive Free or Die :]

Takuro Spirit > Blake Noble 02/14/2014 at 23:11

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I had a '98 Hombre... don't remember the sunvisors having extensions. We're talking about the plastic slide-outs, right?

Blake Noble > Takuro Spirit 02/14/2014 at 23:15

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Yup, plastic slide outs (the ones that slide on a rail count too, FYI).

I'll be honest, for the longest time, I used them as storage trays. Seriously. They were actually good for hiding an emergency $20 bill.

flabberboozled > Blake Noble 02/18/2014 at 23:17

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Except it wasn't the 1997 Camry. It was literally the champagne colored 1992 Camry. Yes, the ovoid was catastrophic for that Ford brand in 1996, but the 1992 Camry already ate Ford's lunch, stole its girlfriend and pants it on the bus afterschool by 1996. The Accord, Camry and Taurus duked it out in the early 90's for best selling family sedan, but Ford was selling a high percentage to rental agencies to goose those numbers, because it was so important to be able to sell the Taurus as the "#1 selling midsize car in America." At the time, Toyota and Honda sold very few of their cars to fleets. That 1992-1995 Camry was the epitome of beige appliance.

Maxaxle > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/18/2014 at 23:20

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So, parked diagonally in garage upside-down or job done well?

Blake Noble > flabberboozled 02/18/2014 at 23:28

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I dunno. I think the fourth-gen Camry (XV10) was actually less bland than what came out for 1997. With the '92 - '96 Camry, you had a choice of three bodystyles — an honest coupe version (the later Solara is almost a Camry in name only), sedan, or wagon. Overall, the styling lacked any real flair, but it was curvaceous and organic and didn't look like someone designed it with a damn t-square. It The wagon in particular looked kind of neat with it's chopped-off back end; it was pretty much a four-door kammback.

flabberboozled > Blake Noble 02/18/2014 at 23:40

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Beige isn't just about blandness though, its also about being an anonymous appliance i.e. refrigerator. The XV10 was the perfect storm of Lexus like quality and reliability with a likeable, if average, design. The previous version was very shitbox Toyota 80's styling, so if you bought one you were basically screaming "I AM SENSIBLE AND I VALUE RELIABILITY OVER EVERYTHING ELSE." So, while the styling of the XV10 was a step up, it was required to attain beige-mobile status: anonymous appliance.

The station wagon went away because nobody bought it because nobody bought station wagons and they introduced the Sienna in 1998, to replace the very poor selling Previa 8 Then Toyota released the Highlander 2 years later because nobody wanted minivans. The coupe carried over as the Solara, which might as well have been called the Camry.

mrhandle > flabberboozled 02/18/2014 at 23:56

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I own a 1993 Lexus ES300 VCV10 (Based on the XV10) In Almond Beige Pearlescent.

Do I win the beige awards?

flabberboozled > mrhandle 02/19/2014 at 00:04

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I remember when that car was introduced. Very tasty, except that trunklid. So high.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 00:11

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The car's not that bad despite its beigeness, but what kills me is people who don't maintain them. Like my aunt. She wore out the back shocks on the camry so badly the tires were rubbing on the wheel arches. And when she was tired of the sounds (like a month later) then got it fixed. Ugh.

mrhandle > flabberboozled 02/19/2014 at 00:36

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The trunk lid isn't really high at all, but if you're referring to the stance on the back, it does sit very high. It looks pretty good with some fatter wheels though :) And it allows everyone to see the awesome symmetry of the undercarriage. (Not visible in this picture though)

313,000 kms and not a bit of wear on the paint or the interior yet. Even the leather looks mighty good for its age. This is mainly due its past owners looking after it (and me looking after it!) but I still sort of believe that if it was built nowadays it wouldn't of fared so well.

And good that you remember it being introduced because I wasn't even born!

flabberboozled > mrhandle 02/19/2014 at 00:43

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I meant that the trunk opening was above the tailights rather than at bumper level. That's pretty high for a trunk opening. For a comparison, look at the trunk lid opening for the fourth gen. It cuts through the taillights, all the way to the bumper.

mrhandle > flabberboozled 02/19/2014 at 00:55

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Ah I understand now!

I find it handy because it ultimately means I have more boot space. Can fill it right to the brim.

Makes it almost impossible to reach the far corners though. Id rather a second gen over a third gen any day, with projector headlights and frameless windows :P And the iron block engine. They made the newer model worse than the old one.
(Thats a third gen you pictured there btw)

flabberboozled > mrhandle 02/19/2014 at 00:59

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I consider the ES250 to be the first gen of the "ES" brand.

mrhandle > flabberboozled 02/19/2014 at 01:01

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Oh yeah, so do I, ES250 is first gen, 92-96 is second, and 96-01 is third. :)

flabberboozled > mrhandle 02/19/2014 at 01:21

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D'oh, you're right, my mistake. =D

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Maxaxle 02/19/2014 at 01:37

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job well done

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 01:48

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it might be beige, but can I be honest here? This (the showcased generation) and the latest one are IMHO decent cars!
I'd buy one of these if I needed a dependable, efficient commuter sedan

300hp30mpgrwdfor30k > flabberboozled 02/19/2014 at 02:35

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The Solara, especially the 1st gen, was a gorgeous car for its time, and still looks good today. Could be had with a 5speed manual and a 200hp V6, and is not that heavy. Aftermarket suspension or TRD package knocks out that pillowy Camry ride, and you've got yourself a fun, practical, good looking car that's reliable.

flabberboozled > 300hp30mpgrwdfor30k 02/19/2014 at 02:36

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No.

oz4 > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 03:02

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Vincenzo71 > EL_ULY 02/19/2014 at 03:05

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Tears shed :,)
I agree. I have a 74000 mile 79 camaro. It's not fast and not a ballerina, but it's reliable and it's mine. Much of having fun in a car is how you drive it and how you cherish it. It may be beige to some or a malaise piece of shit like mine, but it's my piece of shit. All cars deserve love! Spread it around!

Vincenzo71 > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 03:13

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I'm not a huge fan of the Camry or fwd 4 doors in general, but 97 and up Toyota Camrys (Camries?) are really well sorted, relatively powerful, fun cars. For a mom/dad car, they were pretty competent cars. Not too spicy in the looks department but the V6 was a hoot!

300hp30mpgrwdfor30k > flabberboozled 02/19/2014 at 03:43

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Yep.

flabberboozled > 300hp30mpgrwdfor30k 02/19/2014 at 03:50

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Hahaha. :grumpycatno:

John Static > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 07:35

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My mom has a beige 1994 Camry. I drive a beige 1997 Camry when they switched models and became #1. My car is sooooo much more "beige" than my mom's.

It is a perfectly pleasant car that's made it to 200,000 miles with no complaints, but damn it is boring. I borrowed my mom's car a few weeks ago and it is actually fun to drive.

My wife also drives a beige 2000 Camry we have had for about 10 years and my dad has a beige 2009 Camry. I'm not sure how this happened lol.

TheHighwayStar > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 08:13

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The 92-96 Camry was a better and beiger car. It was roomier and the interior was better quality. It was a mini-lexus. It also helped make Toyota a major player in north America.

The Biebster's got a P71 (Formerly not Justin Bieber) > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 10:56

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I have to say, I really, really like the pre-92 Camry.

I also think it's funny that Toyota decided that needed an update at the same time that Ford decided this needed an update (One of them was a little late):

FruitbatNT > Blake Noble 02/19/2014 at 12:13

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I had a 95 V6 for many years. Beyond being a rock solid car that never needed more than an oil change for 300,000 km, it was pretty peppy for 1995 sedan as well.

In an era when the Corvette was doing 5.1s 0-60 and near 14 second 1/4 miles, a family sedan that got 25+mpg posting 0-60 in the 7's and running 15 and change 1/4 mile wasn't bad. It was quicker than the base model Camaro/Firebird and Mustang in those years.

thxoneonethreeeight > Blake Noble 02/20/2014 at 20:23

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Personally, this was one of the most important cars ever.

This exact same color Camry saved my sister's life when a drunk driver hit her and forced her into a pole at 45 MPH. This boring little car was utterly destroyed but it allowed my sister to keep her life.

The car was slow and it had strange suspension problems. And it was beige... everywhere. But shit, it could be as beige and it wanted to be. I'm just glad it did its job.

MN > Blake Noble 02/21/2014 at 00:13

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My wife's had two of the damned things. I'd rather ride a jackass across Brooklyn than be seen in one.

Greenmobile Supremo Commando, BRZ Extrordinare > EL_ULY 02/21/2014 at 00:49

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Amen brother.

I love my 04. Camry or not, I still have a ton-o-fun in it, and have made it my own. That's what its all about isn't it?

EL_ULY > Greenmobile Supremo Commando, BRZ Extrordinare 02/21/2014 at 10:13

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exactly sir. Long live motoring! From Yugo to McLaren :]