Since my "guess what i went flying' thread has already veered into uncharted waters, here's some info for curious Cessna lovers, mostly gleaned from the awesome Airliners.net website:
The C150 started as the C142, a trike version of the 140. The name changed a week after the announcement, for reasons unknown.
150s came with a Continental O-200A on the nose; 100 hp and it ran best on 80/87 octane fuel.
I was wrong about the Aerobat: there was a 150 version; same engine, etc., just beefed up a little for mild aerobatics. they were introduced in 1970.
The 152 came about in 1978 due to less availability of 80/87 fuel: they stuck a Lycoming O-235 on the nose (110 hp). The more powerful engine meant a little more performance, as well... a welcome change.
There were also aerobatic versions of the 152, including the late-80s French-built ones, which are supposedly highly prized.
The 172 had similar origins: the taildragger C170 was converted to a trike, and there are a few engine variants, etc., but the C175 ("Skylark") is the one with the geared GO300 engine... the French-licensed 175 has a constant-speed prop as well, and is known as the "Rheims Rocket".