In 1978, when the Toyota Motor Company was looking to produce a new sports car, it turned to its existing Toyota Celica model as the base on which to model its new production automobile, the Toyota Supra. Designers of the early models of the Supra relied heavily on this Celica design. Changes were made, however, to create a sportier version of the Celica including the extension of the length and width of the model to allow for better road handling and an increase in the new vehicle's power by replacing the 4-cylinder engine used in the Celica with a 6-cylinder inline engine for the Supra. These design implementations continued throughout the Supra's production cycle until production was ended in 2002.

The first appearance of the Supra in 1978 was limited to the Japanese market, with the first model of the Supra bearing the Celica name as the Toyota Celica XX. The engine used on the Japanese model was a 2.0L 12-valve inline-6 with electronic fuel injection. It was available in both a 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission model, along with a four-link rear suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes. Power windows and power locks along with cruise control and an optional sunroof helped to complete the original model options before its appearance on the US market in 1979.

The primary difference between the Japanese and American versions of the first model of the Supra was a change in engines to a larger 145hp engine with a turbocharger for the American version to give the American vehicle a bit more power. Production on the Celica XX continued for the next three years with a change in the engine in 1980 to a new 116hp model and a change in the automatic transmission to use Toyota's A43D design. In 1982, the Mark II model was released with a complete redesign, as well as a name change implemented everywhere but in Japan to the Celica Supra.

The Celica Supra was made available in two model types, the L-Type luxury model and the P-Type performance model. There was little difference between the two models from a mechanical standpoint, with the primary differences between the two models being the options offered as add-ons.

Toyota continued to produce the Supra for the next 20 years, introducing a Mark III version in 1986 and a final Mark IV version in 1992. Each new model featured a new design to keep up with changing market trends, adding more powerful engines with each rebuild but sticking with the same basic 6-cylinder inline design. Due to new laws regarding CO2 emissions, the Supra was taken out of the Canadian market in 1996, the US in 1998 and the Japanese market in 2002.