Prior to the production of the Camry Solara, the 2-door version of the Toyota Camry was simply known as the Camry Coupé; it was added to the third generation Camry lineup in 1994 to compete with the Honda Accord and other cars in its class. However, due to it never being nearly as popular as the 4-door sedan of the Camry, the Camry Coupé was dropped in 1997.

 

In 1999, reviving the goal to compete with other similar coupés, Toyota launched the Camry Solara. Instead of mirroring the now-fourth generation Camry's design, the Solara had its own unique design with a swooped roofline, heavily creased sides and unique front and rear fascia. The name "Camry Solara" can be divided into two parts: the Camry portion to reflect on its roots, and the "Solara" portion to portray the radiance of the sun. However, all models of the Camry Solara only feature the "Solara" portion of the name on exterior emblems, and the "Camry" portion of the name is rarely used when referring to the car in general. Unlike the competing Honda Accord sedan and the Accord Coupe which are updated at the same time, the Solara's development is independent of the Camry.