Two prototypes, sometimes referred to as CSMG-0, were made before mass production started, these cars originally had a single articulated joint instead of two, but later these were extended.

The CSMG was intended to replace the lower capacity Ganz UV[g] and obsolete, in-house FVV CSM[h] Bengáli trams.

The series also carries the distinction of having one of the cars take Diana, Princess of Wales on a ride along the city's scenic Line 2 on the Danube's bank.

The CSMG series was Ganz's, and thus the Hungarian machine industry's first foray into articulated rail vehicle production as the obsolete CSM Bengáli tramcars made by FVV's in-house Árpád Füzesi Workshop, and Ganz's own lower capacity UV series proved to be inadequate for the growing demands of Budapest's tram network.

After the first CSMG production run however, features were scaled back, this resulted in tramcars having less comfort, but after years of repairs and refurbishments, almost all CSMG cars converged to a general set of specifications referred to as CSMG-E (Csuklós Motorkocsi, Ganz – Egységesített, "Articulated Motor Coach, Ganz – Unified").