Today's example is the Oldsmobile Cutlass circa-1970 line. Wikipedia's Cutlass entry refers to the 1968-1972 models as the "Third Generation" (scroll down for information).
Rather than dealing with all styling features, I'm focusing on front and rear ends. Those facelifts were not massive in the sense of considerable reshaping, as in the case of the 1950 Studebaker's front end (that I wrote about here). Nevertheless, all but the final Cutlass facelift were not trivial.
Front and rear images below are of the same car each model year.
The initial front end design. Fairly small opening for cooling. Widely spaced quad headlights.
Around this time Oldsmobile was establishing a new grille theme: divided openings. Nothing really new, because BMWs used that theme for years, and Olds' sister brand Pontiac began it in 1959, not to mention 1953 Studebakers. Headlights are close together and the opening is more substantial. The hood has been reshaped, along with the bumper.
New bumper, again. Grille units are more clearly defined due to explicit framing. Different mesh pattern.
Yet another new bumper. Central hood reshaping. Grille elements are taller, but less attractive. Reminds me of BMW's recent atrocious grille segment enlargements.
Sometimes final-year facelifts include details that preview some next-year's redesign features. But not here. Just a little freshening in the form of new grille bars.
The initial rear end. Sorry that this example has a lot of stickers, but I hope the design theme is still obvious.
A new bumper and tail light assemblies change the character of the car's aft.
Again, a completely revised bumper- tail light ensemble.
The basic bumper is the same, but tail light orientation got the "old switcheroo." The word "Oldsmobile" is now spread across much of the trunk lid.
Minor final-year changes at the rear as well as the front. Here in the form of added internal vertical frames on tail light assembles.
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