From Humble Beginnings to a Legacy of Three Zs: A Dream Decades in the Making

For Joseph L.G. Camacho, a lifelong passion for Japanese performance cars has transformed into a cherished family legacy built on hard work, perseverance and dedication.

The Spark: A Lesson That Stuck

Joe’s admiration for the iconic sports car line began in the late 1970s while he was working for a rental car company. The moment a Datsun 260Z pulled into the lot, he immediately fell in love. When Joe mentioned to the owner that he could never afford a machine like that, the owner offered simple advice that Joe would carry for the rest of his life: “Just work hard, and someday you will.”

The 370Z: First Step Toward the Dream

Four decades after hearing those words, Joe was working the graveyard shift when he came across a newspaper advertisement for a 2019 Nissan 370Z Heritage Edition. He texted the ad to his daughter, who encouraged him to go to the dealership to take a look.

After finishing his shift, Joe met with longtime Nissan Guam sales consultants Anne Blas and Marlon Lacson. Knowing exactly what he wanted, Joe skipped the test drive. When he called his daughter to share the good news, he didn’t realize his wife was listening on speakerphone. She was initially upset about purchasing another car (especially a two-seater!) but Joe reassured her that the 2019 Pearl White 370Z Heritage Edition would eventually belong to their sports-car-loving grandson, Callum.

The 2026 Z: A Surprise for His Daughter

Five years later, Joe got a call from Anne about an available 2026 Nissan Z Sport in Bayside Blue, stacked with a 400-horsepower twin-turbo V6 engine. Upon learning it had a manual transmission, Joe remembered teaching his daughter to drive a stick shift when she was 15. He decided this car belonged to her. Joe and his daughter kept the purchase secret from his wife until bringing the car home—and when she saw it, she loved it!

The 2027 Z: Full Circle

To complete his trio, Joe returned to Nissan at age 69 to purchase a 2027 Nissan Z Sport in Shinkai Green for his granddaughter, Avia. Guided by Nissan Guam General Sales Manager Tom Quiogue, receiving this final Z in October holds special significance: October marks both Joe’s birth month and the anniversary of the original Datsun 240Z’s 1969 debut, bringing his journey full circle.

Three Zs, Three Generations

What started as a working man’s admiration for a Datsun 260Z in the 1970s has grown into a three-car collection that spans three generations of the Camacho family:

• 2019 Pearl White 370Z Heritage Edition – Designated for his grandson, Callum.
• 2026 Bayside Blue Nissan Z Sport – Designated for his daughter, Julia.
• 2027 Shinkai Green Nissan Z Sport – Designated for his granddaughter, Avia.

These cars represent gifts from Joe and his wife to their family, a lasting testament to the lesson Joe learned decades ago: “Hard work leads to success, and dreams are worth pursuing.”