Flown for the first time in January 1957, the Cessna Model 210 was the first of the company's high-wing range to feature retractable landing gear and swept vertical tail surfaces. The first production aircraft flew in December 1959 powered by a 194kW Continental IO-470-E engine, and since that time progressive improvements were made each year.

The 1961 model introduced two more cabin windows, additional headroom and an improved heating and ventilating system, and by 1963 an autopilot was offered as an option. In January 1965 the Model 210E Centurion had supplanted earlier versions and was powered by a 213kW Continental IO-520-A.

The Model 210F followed in 1966, and that year the first turbocharged model became available in the form of the T210F Turbo-System Centurion with a 213kW Continental TSIO-520C; the extra power conferred a useful increase in performance, particularly in altitude. A new wing, first flown on a T210 in June 1965, was later introduced on production aircraft, and eliminated the need for external bracing struts.

By 1970 Cessna had dropped its suffix letter system from model numbers and in that year introduced two new versions, the Centurion II and Turbo Centurion II which incorporated a factory-installed package of avionics and equipment as standard, these being produced alongside the Centurion and Turbo Centurion. By then the Centurions were of six-seat capacity and offered powerplant options of a 224kW Continental IO-520-L for the Centurion and a 213kW TSIO-520H for the Turbo Centurion.

In November 1977 a new pressurised version of the Model 210, the Pressurized Centurion, was announced. Generally similar to the standard Centurion, it differed by having a pressure cabin and a 231kW Continental TSIO-520-P which incorporated a high-capacity turbocharger to support the pressurisation system, and like the earlier models was available in standard and Pressurized Centurion II versions.

All six versions remained available until 1986 when sales slowed down and at the end of 1987 when production ceased, a total of 8,453 Model 210s and Centurions had rolled off the line together with 851 Pressurized Centurions.

Turbocharged Centurions established several world records in their class: including time-to-height records, a round the world speed record of 204km/h, and an altitude record of 12905m established as long ago as 13 May 1967.