Even though the story is fictional, the character of Captain J.W. Shaw (Russell Johnson) does mention some then current serial killers such as The Zodiac Killer (never apprehended) in San Francisco, the Skid Row Slasher (latter discovered to be Vaughan Greenwood) in Los Angeles and "that nut down in Houston" (referring to Dean Corll who killed a staggering 27 boys before being shot dead by his accomplice Wayne Henley).
The killer in the movie is loosely based on Ed Kemper "the Co-ed Killer", whose killing spree occurred between 1964 to 1973.
Director Irvin Berwick's first R-rated movie.
The ad campaign for the film was purposely misleading, making the movie seem like a fun Crown International hot-chicks-and-cars caper, rather than a very violent and intense thriller about a serial killer.