In short
- A visible bumper, lamp, grille or panel change requires different artwork.
- A specification variant changes verified numbers and never changes the drawing.
- The catalogue year range describes the exact body shown, not the whole generation.
- When the year sits near a facelift boundary, a photograph should decide the version.
A car maker can keep the badge and change the part an owner looks at first. That is why I do not treat “facelift” as a line in the specification block. If the face moves, the drawing has to move with it.
When does a facelift need separate artwork?
A facelift needs separate artwork when it changes anything visible in the drawing, such as the bumper, grille, lights or panel boundaries. New numbers cannot repair an old picture.
This is the dividing line used throughout the catalogue. If two versions share a body, they may share a drawing. If the picture has changed, they are separate models even when the name on the boot has not.
Which facelift changes matter in a car portrait?
Any visible change that alters the car’s outline or identity matters. Lamps, grille openings, bumper shapes, fog-light surrounds and panel edges can make the earlier drawing belong to a different car.
| Change | Drawing | Specification block |
|---|---|---|
| Bumper or grille shape | New drawing | Check again |
| Headlight or rear-light shape | New drawing | Check again |
| Engine only, body unchanged | Can stay | New verified variant |
| Wheels or owner modification | Check the visible artwork | May stay |
The Fiesta ST Mk8 is the clean example. The pre-facelift and facelift are separate catalogue models because their faces differ. The Mk8 face finder uses visible clues rather than asking the specification block to do the drawing’s job.
When can two cars share one drawing?
Two cars can share one drawing when their visible body is the same and only the figures change. Each engine or market option then receives its own verified specification variant.
The Mazda MX-5 NA 1.6 and 1.8 use this arrangement. One body drawing is right for both, but one stats block is not. The customer chooses the engine beside the colour and plate, and that choice travels into the print configuration.
Read the MX-5 engine comparison to see the two variants kept apart without duplicating an identical catalogue tile.
How do you identify the correct facelift?
Start with the year range, then confirm the visible face from a clear photograph. Near a changeover, the registration year narrows the choice but should not decide it alone.
Look straight at the end of the car that changed. A dark photograph at an angle can hide the lamp outline or grille boundary that settles the question. Ask for another view rather than turning uncertainty into a confident selection.
The broader guide to what makes one owner’s car recognisable covers wheels, stance, paint and registration after the base generation and facelift are correct.
What happens when the photographs do not settle it?
The version remains unresolved. The shop should show no car rather than sell the most plausible facelift and leave the owner to discover the wrong bumper on the finished print.
Compare the catalogue drawings and year ranges. If the correct face is absent, the custom request lets Jonathan check the photographs before accepting the work. Sending the form is an enquiry, not a promise that incomplete evidence can be drawn.
Questions people actually ask
- Does every car facelift need a separate drawing?
- A separate drawing is needed when the visible car changes. A new bumper, grille, lamp shape or panel line cannot be represented by changing the model year or specification text.
- What is the difference between a facelift and a specification variant?
- A facelift can change the picture, so it becomes separate artwork. A specification variant uses the same correct drawing but changes verified engine or performance figures in the poster’s stats block.
- Can the registration year identify a facelift on its own?
- Not safely near a changeover. Registration dates, build dates and model introductions do not always form a clean boundary, so use the year to narrow the choice and a photograph to confirm the visible face.
- What happens if the correct facelift is not in the catalogue?
- The earlier drawing is not sold as a substitute. Jonathan can first check photographs through a custom request and decide whether the different body and visible details require new artwork.
Written by Jonathan in Derby. Last updated .