Toyota’s Amazing Half Camry
by Tom Jensen April 02, 2021
From one side this remarkable Toyota creation looks like an ordinary street car; from the other, Martin Truex Jr.’s premier series race car.
2018 Toyota Morph Camry. Photo courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame exists in large part because of the support of so many stakeholders in the sport. NASCAR, its teams, its racers and fans have all stepped up. Some have loaned or donated prized artifacts, everything from photographs and race programs to priceless trophy collections and entire vintage race cars. And we are profoundly grateful for their generosity.
One group that’s stepped up in a big way are the three automakers who compete in NASCAR today: Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. Each of the three has made significant contributions to the Hall of Fame since we opened in 2010.
2018 Toyota Morph Camry. Photo courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
One of the most impressive artifacts on display is known as the Toyota Morph Camry, which was built by and loaned to us by our friends at Toyota Racing.
From the driver’s side of the car, the Morph Camry looks like a 2018 Toyota pace car, with the left half of the interior appearing completely stock, down to the attractive gray leather seats and ergonomically friendly dashboard.
2018 Toyota Morph Camry. Photo courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
But swing around to what would be the passenger side of the car and it’s all business – a race-ready Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota complete with a half roll cage, fat Goodyear Eagle racing tires and a NASCAR-spec body wrapped in the Bass Pro Shops paint scheme raced by Martin Truex Jr.
Toyota’s skilled craftspeople somehow managed to blend the street car and the race car into a stunning and eye-opening package.
1992 Pontiac Grand Prix. Photo courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
And it’s one of three half-race, half-street cars we have in Heritage Speedway at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the others being a 1956 Chrysler 300B and a 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix trimmed out in Richard Petty’s (2010) iconic Petty Blue/STP Day-Glo Red colors.
1956 Chrysler 300B. Photo courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
So on your next trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame don’t miss the Toyota Morph Camry and the other two half cars on Heritage Speedway. They really are something special.
Plan your visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets by visiting nascarhall.com/tickets.
