Corsa Specialised Vehicles (CSV) is a small-scale

automaker The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % suc ...

established in 1994 that is based in

Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area h ...

Victoria, Australia Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most populated state (after New South Wales) with a population of over 6.5 million, and the most densely populated state in ...

. Its range consists of

V8-engined A V8 engine is an eight- cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...

high performance cars based on those produced by

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thr ...

. Since its founder, Peter Dichiera (engine builder and 1970s

drag racer Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most ...

, nicknamed "''Mildura Maverick''"), decided that CSV would not simply build modified versions of existing Holden cars, in 1996 it obtained government approval under the Australian Design Rules (ADR) scheme. In so doing, CSV became a "secondary manufacturer" in the same mold as its established large-scale rival,

Holden Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...

(HSV). CSV's famed tuner reputation was established with the first vehicle built in 1994. Badged Corsa 220i ("corsa" meaning "race" in Italian), it was based on a Holden Berlina (VR). The interest arising from the favourable results of this new high performance sedan against an HSV equivalent, as published in a national automotive magazine, caused CSV to build a further two vehicles by special order and begin exhibiting at Australian motorshows. The CSV range grew to include: * the Volanti (a phonetic adaptation of "volante" meaning "flying" in Italian), Strada (meaning "road" in Italian) and Veloce (meaning "fast" in Italian), based on the short wheelbase

Holden Commodore The Holden Commodore is a full-size car that was sold by Holden from 1978 to 2020. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of the locally manufactured versions in Australia endi ...

( VR to VX series) sedan and wagon * the La Classe (meaning "the class" in Italian), based on the long wheelbase Holden Statesman/Caprice (VS and WH series) sedan * the Mondo (meaning "world" in Italian), based on the

Holden Monaro The Holden Monaro ( ) is a rear-wheel drive coupé manufactured by General Motors Holden in Australia from 1968 to 1975 and later reintroduced from 2001 to 2005. It was also manufactured as a 4-door sedan from 1973 to 1977. Three generations of ...

(V2 series) coupé. A total of only 15 were built. * the Bullet based on the Holden (VS to VU series)

utility As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosophe ...

. The individual model designation of each vehicle is based on the engine kilowatt-output. For example, the Mondo was offered as the GT305 (featuring a 5.7-litre LS1 producing , stainless steel high output headers, stainless steel exhaust, Harrop brakes, Koni suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels and 245/35ZR19 tyres), a "Stage 2" GT350R (featuring a blueprinted version of the base engine) and the GT400R (instead powered by a 6.5-litre V8 engine). Apart from high capacity and high output V8 engines, enhanced suspension and braking systems, CSV models have been characterised by upgraded interiors and full body kits (in particular, bonnet air vents, revised grilles and large decklid spoilers). CSV's achievements in the local Australian industry have included producing the fastest accelerating Australian production car from (the CSV Veloce) in 2000, and offering the first Holden

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

-based performance car powered by a 7.0-litre '' LS7'' V8 engine (the 2007 CSV GTS), beating rival HSV with its subsequent W427. Still based in Mildura, CSV's operations expanded to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

for a time before their closure. The brand also has a presence in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia, as CSV Australia. This CSV is not to be confused with HSV's Middle Eastern export CSV badge, which stands for " Chevrolet Special Vehicles" instead.

References

External links

Official CSV website (under construction)
{{Automotive industry in Australia Car manufacturers of Australia Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1994 Australian companies established in 1994 Companies based in Victoria (Australia)