Sorry City suffered their biggest humiliation in many a year as rampant Cardiff re-wrote the record books at Ashton Gate.

Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, the Beatles were top of the pops and old money was still in circulation when the Bluebirds last tasted victory in Bristol.

But they consigned that particular record of under-achievement to the dustbin of history in emphatic fashion, scoring six times without reply to register their first win in BS3 since 1969.

If landslide defeats during intervening seasons at Swansea (7-1) and Ipswich (6-0) were embarrassing, this was worse, coming as it did on home soil and against opponents who are considered arch rivals.

Having played second fiddle for the opening 19 minutes, Cardiff turned the game on it's head by piercing City's woeful defence four times before the break.

And things went from bad to worse in the second half as the Welsh side scored twice more to stamp their superiority and move back into fourth place in the Coca-Cola Championship.

Having suffered the biggest home defeat of his managerial career, Robins boss Gary Johnson now faces a monumental task if he is to lift his players ahead of Saturday's tricky-looking trip to Middlesbrough.

It was too much to take for City fans, who vented their frustration in the form of a crescendo of boos and jeers aimed at the players and manager after the final whistle.

Home fans were encouraged early on when their side started as though they meant business, Nicky Maynard sending a shot inches wide of the target and new-boy Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Cole Skuse threatening with efforts from range.

Thereafter, Bristolian optimism evaporated as Cardiff stunned their hosts with a three-goal salvo inside five minutes.

Peter Whittingham initiated the landslide following a moment of pure farce at the heart of City's defence. Attempting to guide the ball back to Dean Gerken, centre-back Liam Fontaine left his header woefully short.

City's keeper blocked Michael Chopra's initial effort, but was powerless to prevent the ball running loose to Whittingham, who fired home the rebound from just inside the penalty area.

If that goal came against the run of play, there was no doubting Cardiff's ascendancy after they scored twice more in quick succession. City were again punished for holding a high defensive line when Whittingham played a ball over the top and found Ross McCormack, who slid the ball inside the post from five yards out.

Now playing with style and confidence, rampant Cardiff profited from another long through ball a minute later, Jay Bothroyd picking out Chopra with a slide-rule 40-yard pass which split City's defence asunder. Taking the ball in his stride, Chopra beat Gerken with a stunning shot which flew beyond the out-stretched keeper and inside the far post.

Although the Robins pressed men into attack in a bid to repair the damage and Campbell-Ryce sent a shot fizzing narrowly wide, there was little to suggest Johnson's team were about to stage a remarkable fight-back

Indeed, the Bluebirds continued to carry the greater threat in the final third and Jamie McAllister resorted to a last-ditch interception to cut out a Bothroyd cross intended for the predatory Chopra.

But there was no denying the Welsh side two minutes before the break, Chopra sending over a cross and Fontaine inadvertently turning the ball into his own net in the act of attempting a clearance.

Not surprisingly, City were booed off at half-time. If that was embarrassing, the home side's chagrin knew no bounds when Cardiff extended their lead within a minute of the restart.

Bothroyd again found Chopra, who carved his way through a porous defence to beat Gerken with consummate ease and net his third goal against City in as many games.

Stunned City fans were already streaming out of the stadium when the Welsh side added a sixth goal on 57 minutes, McCormack lashing the ball in from eight yards after the Robins failed to deal with a short corner routine.

Louis Carey came closest to pulling a goal back 20 minutes from time, but his effort was cleared off the line, while Maynard's shot was pushed onto the post by David Marshall.