The people who like their Teslas absolutely love them. And if you’re into a sports sedan that can rocket to 60 mph in two seconds or a truck that looks ready for the apocalypse, Tesla builds some of the coolest cars around. But after 16 years in business, Tesla has still never released a cool car color.

Car colors are getting pretty cool. I take some issue with how marketing teams name these colors, but I can’t deny that they are bright, nuanced, and unique. Whether its a pink Jeep Wrangler, a purple Hellcat, a burnt orange Nissan Z, a bright yellow Corvette, or a desert khaki Toyota TRD Pro truck, many halo cars are defined by signature colors. Sometimes these colors are as much a part of the vehicle’s identity as its powertrain or cool features.

Now think of a Tesla. What color is it? Many folks would say white. And the white Tesla crossover is becoming a ubiquitous vehicle. But many car companies would have released some eye-catching special edition signature color for the Model S Plaid with its near-supercar performance times. Not Tesla.

You can order a Tesla Model S in grayscale colors (white, black, gray, and silver). And if you want to get unique with it you can choose blue or red. Yup, that’s it. At times during 2012, 2013, and 2014, Tesla offered a green and a brown. But it’s over that phase.

Tesla knows there’s a demand for more interesting finishes. It has even begun to offer custom wraps from the factory. But it won’t commit to any interesting colors.

Tesla’s latest eye-catching, brand-promoting halo car is definitely its Cybertruck. Instead of committing to a cool color, that truck’s signature finish is…no color. The Cybertruck’s bare metal finish does the job of getting everyone’s attention. But it also doesn’t do any of the jobs paint does, and now Tesla is telling owners to wipe dead bugs and bird poop off immediately to avoid the Cybertruck corroding. This is a perfect illustration of the philosophy governing Tesla design and preventing it introducing cool colors.

When Tesla launched its Model S in 2012, a design philosophy called “minimalism” was peaking. This is the very simplistic design you see in a lot of SciFi movies, exemplified in Apple product design such as the original iPod. Think white plastic, a bit of shiny metal, no interesting trim or even corners. Tesla brought this philosophy into car interiors. But even its exteriors were as simple and under-designed as possible.

Tesla has clung to this design language for over a decade. This is one reason its cars have barely received a face lift. At first, it was a breath of fresh air in the automotive industry. But the company has trapped itself. Doing anything interesting or eye catching will go against its original philosophy. So no bright colors or unique features.

The Cybertruck is one way Tesla has broken out of this philosophy, and essentially admitted that the future may look different than minimalism. Let’s hope it continues this trend and we get some interesting Tesla colors, even if just on the upcoming Roadster.