Trivia / Safari 5000

• California Doubling: Thoroughly averted as the production crew took great lengths to film the races where they actually occurred. This is especially evident in the rally itself, as the crew did filming during the actual 1969 race.
• Cast the Expert: Nissan's racing drivers are actually credited as part of the stunt crew.
• Defictionalization:
  • As part of the run up to the actual 1969 East Africa Rally, Ishihara Promotions actually registered a "Takayuki Godai" as a driver. Sadly, the team ended up being "retired" during the race.
  • Although no Japanese driver has ever won the actual Rally (as of 2019), the winners of the 1970 and 1971 races did use Datsun^note Nissan's export name cars. This feat was replicated by local racer Shekar Mehta who won five rallies behind the wheel of a Nissan, including four in a row from 1979-1982.
• Edited for Syndication: There was a 130-minute version exported for international audiences, which was then cut down to 94 minutes for a one-time TV release in 1976.
• Keep Circulating the Tapes: Due to legal issues, the film in its original form was only made available on home video in 2013, to commemorate Ishihara Promotions' 50th anniversary.
• What Might Have Been:
  • Originally, the film was meant to have run over three hours, but at the editor's insistence it was cut down to 174 minutes. Ishihara was dissatisfied at the end result, and promised to reedit the film. However, perhaps due to the legal issues following its release, it never materialized.
  • There was talk of a sequel in the 1990s following Ishihara's death. This would have involved Godai's children getting involved in the World Rally Championship circuit.