This comes from long time friend of MotoringFile and owner of Outmotoring Aaron Cornaby:
>We just got some of the saddest news in recent MINI history. It seems the famous and very popular Parcel Tray is now extinct with no plans of revival as far as our sources at MINIusa have described. We were told that last week that we would be getting a large shipment to fill all of our backorders but after following up found that the part number was removed from the MINI USA part number database with a note “not for USA sales”. MINI supply chain sources said there are no plans for replacing or re-releasing it for the US but may be available in other countries.
>You can find the parcel shelf here: Outmotoring Euro Parcel Shelf
MF Analysis: We can only guess that this is due to the parcel shelf never actually being officially DOT tested for crash protection for use on ’02 – ’06 models (despite the fact that actually gives you more room for those with long legs). Expect the grey market (via our friends in Canada and Europe) to suddenly get a little bit bigger. Don’t think for a moment that the parcel shelf is dead for the ’02 through ’06 models.
You can also probably find a few remaining parcel shelves at a few of our other sponsors.
Wow, that was quick. They’re gone everywhere I looked.
Hmm. First it was “Do you have any Beanie Babies?” when crossing from the Canadian border, then “Are you carrying any fruit?” at the CA to AZ checkpoint, how soon ’til the dreaded Parcel Shelf Border Inderdiction Division of the Mattress Police start asking, “Alright, Motorer, izzat a 51161186417 hidden under your Pringles there?” – it’ll be like Frank Finley’s character in “The Jokers” – a strip-searched MINI in pieces by the side of road, with the kiddies crying and the wifey fainted. I imagine a stout prison term and a mind-bending fine will kerb the Parcel-smugglers tunneling under the Big Fence, so I guess I’ll have to watch for the real McCoy ‘s in Cigaret boats sneaking in to offload on the beach, if I want one. 🙁
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
MINI is dead. First they soften the suspension, and take away the traditional 2-spoke steering wheel, AND its backside buttons. Then they change the car and make the headlights funny. They replace the center stack with that post-modern plastic-molded control pod. And now no parcel shelf? My ’03 S is looking better and better.
This is how a cool brand kills itself. One. Piece. At. A. Time. See also “1983 VW GTI.”
<blockquote>Expect the grey market via our friends in Canada and the UK to suddenly get a little bit bigger.</blockquote>
I don’t think that grey market shelves from the UK will be much use, since they’re for the wrong side. Maybe from the rest of Europe, though.
What’s next, the shelf insert for the glove box?
My Fiance’ traded in her ’03 for an ’05. We removed the Parcel shelf from the ’03 and replaced it with the original cover. I’m now glad we did that. I guess they are like limited gold now.
Anyone want a Parcel Shelf? I have one. $20,000. Do I here $25,000? $25,000? Anyone, anyone?
Chad at Detroit Tuned has a couple of parcel shelves available.
So, the big question for our soon to be 2007 owners: Does the 2007 in Europe come with a parcel shelf. From the pictures it looks like it does not.
What is the american obsesion with the parcel shelf?
I don’t understand it at all, anything you put on it slides around, falls off, gets under the pedals, personally i think it’s dangerous and good ridance to bad rubish.
I’ve never met anyone in the UK who is fussed about it, let alone would want to retro fit it!
Can someone explain why you like it so much?
I never cared for it either.
Hey Sparky:
<blockquote>
This is how a cool brand kills itself. One. Piece. At. A. Time.
</blockquote>
nice william shatner impersonation!
@ Mark Pierce
I’ve never had anything slide around or fall off my parcel shelf – that’s why it has a rubber mat. And when you’re 6’4″, having a little extra leg room makes motoring a whole bunch more comfortable.
Stuff doesn’t slide around too bad under everyday driving. A little extra leg room is nice.
Is the shelf vital to enjoying the MINI? No.
Is the shelf kinda cool to have? Yes.
Having added a power port & aux input into mine, it takes a wasted space and gives me great utility (the added leg room is nice too). The things I do keep on the shelf have stayed there under much “spirited” driving. To each his own.
I am 6’7″ and DO NOT have a parcel shelf … can someone explain how this makes for more legroom? I thought it intrudes into that area.
???
Major BUMMER. It ain’t a MINI without one !
Aurel, you probably have to see it to fully understand… but the standard bolster sticks out far more than it needs to. The parcel shelf is more recessed. I’m not as tall as you (6’1″) but I definitely noticed the difference.
The parcel shelf is a VERY worthy mod to any MINI. The “objects sliding off” problem is negated provided you have the rubber liner… although some people choose to save a little money and make their own liner.
It does not take up more room. It does give you more storage space, which is nice to have in the MINI. And it’s doubtful the R56 will have one at all, over there or here…
I have the parcel shelf and there’s no doubt that it increases leg room. It’s also the perfect spot for my sunglasses. Heavier items (like a cell phone) do tend to slide during spirited driving, even with the rubber liner.
It’s a bummer that it won’t be available here any longer.
The parcel shelf should have been standard from day one. I put an aux/in in mine, but even if I didn’t have it, I’d want it–great for sunglasses and cell phones–and it’s easily accessible hidden storage to boot, and takes up less space than the standard bolster. I don’t the question is why would anyone want the parcel shelf so much as why would anyone want the standard bolster…
Checked at my dealer. There are “hundreds” of shelves in the BMW system, but they can’t be ordered by dealers. The Parts Dept’s phone has been ringing off the hook with people trying to buy them. Glad all my MINIs have ’em already.
Chill out, folks, you can still get them, just not from US distributors. Sheesh, you’d think the sky was falling.
I agree with all of us “pro-shelfers”. For all “anti-shelfers” or perhaps “take-it-or-leave-it-shelfers”, you’d probably want to try one out and really see the difference it makes in having one. A dandy addition, indeed for all things “stuff”. Cell phones, sunglasses, packs of gum, wallets, toll road transponders for those of us who hate those things velcroed to our windshields, etc. I actually couldn’t imagine my Works S without one. Glad I purchased it!
Hey Sparky, spot on with the brand-killing montra! You’re absolutely right!
Ouch!! What was that? A parcel tray just fell out of the sky…freaking Canadian weather!!
<blockquote>Hey Sparky, spot on with the brand-killing montra! You’re absolutely right!</blockquote>
Alright. I’ll poke the bear.
Are you freakin’ kidding me? This random undertone of MINI brand fatalism just baffles me. The parcel shelf is not the brand. The supercharger is not the brand. The R56 is not even the brand. The brand is the relationship between the MINI, the people who drive them, and the people who want to. Period. The brand lives in the experience of driving, the energy of walking into a dealership, comments here on MotoringFile, photos on NAM, features on MINI2, and merry banter on WhiteRoofRadio. I have yet to hear about “A GTI Vacation in Vegas.” or “Neons at the Dragon.”
As for what kills brands, it’s not the deletion of a part that wasn’t available in the USA market to begin with – or even significant changes to the car. It’s getting away from the values that made you what you are (a lesson VW is still learning). As of right now, the MINI is still all about performance driving, economical motoring, classic style, you-ification, and getting together with your fellow motorors. When that changes, then we can start moaning about the MINI brand going down the drain.
The brand is alive and well.
NS in NE
p.s. I don’t have a parcel shelf in my MINI yet, but it was on my to-mod list. I found one in less than 10 minutes, however.
and we now have our first entry for the post of the October month.
I fitted a Euro “Cubby” Knee Bolster before BMW put the kibosh on ordering it back in 2003.
<img src="http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/517/thumbs/Euro_Knee_Bolster.jpg" />ÂÂÂ
Gabe … can you fix the thumbnail I tried to post … thanks.
Nathaniel, you are right on, man.
BCNU,
Rob in Dago
The parcel shelf was the second mod I did to my MINI, and I find it rather indespensible. It’s a great place to store stuff, like wallets, bluetooth earpieces, sunglasses, tickets (to baseball games!) etc. With the rubber mat, nothing slides unduly. It’s more ubiquitous than anything else, and I’ve gotten so used to the thing, it’s not until someone comments on how cool it is that I have a storage area under the steering wheel do I remember that I installed this myself. Because it’s so dark and recessed in there.
To all those sky-is-falling-on-heads people out there, relax. I think it’s too early to say MINI is on the road to destruction, etc. As NS said, MINI is about the driving experiences, and the community. You don’t see Saab, for instance, developing communities and driver loyalty. No, they’re more about selling a four-wheeled conveyance than promoting the whole experience. That’s what brought me to buy a MINI (though my friends call me a fanatic).
Also, I don’t really like the R56’s headlights, interior center stack, etc, that much, but in the end, that’s all the nice-to-haves. What matters is how much fun the car is, and until I’ve driven one, it’s premature for me to come to a conclusion on the entire generation.
Give ’em a chance. 🙂
<blockquote>Gabe … can you fix the thumbnail I tried to post … thanks.</blockquote>
fixed
Also a double post has been removed.
<blockquote>and we now have our first entry for the post of the October month.</blockquote>
That cracks me up every time.
I just got my order confirmation from an undisclosed New Jersey MINI dealer on my Parcel Shelf. Not something I was intending to buy just now, but looks like it might be now or never. They inform me that there are still two left in inventory…
And since Aaron threw in some nifty free stuff last time I ordered from <em>his</em> fine organization, <strong>this post is brought to you by outmotoring.com. MINI performance, speed, and style. That’s outmotoring.com. </strong>
I love my Parcel Shelf. To me, it just looks like what should have been there all along. The bolster was just so big and bulky. I sometimes put my phone under there and if I ever get an iPod and dock I will probably keep it there, but the main thing day in and day out is the case for my sunglasses. It is too bulky to put in the cubby beneath the toggles and be able to put anything there or reach it easily, but it fits perfectly on the parcel shelf and never bothers anything.
Does anyone have it anymore?
The parcel shelf was my first mod and to this day, my favorite!
….this post is brought to you by outmotoring.com. MINI performance, speed, and style. That’s outmotoring.com.
That’s awesome! Thanks Nathaniel.
NY Times reviews New Mini!!
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/automobiles/11minis.html?ex=1161230400&en" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/automobiles/11minis.html?ex=1161230400&en</a>
=cda40e7eb07bc1db&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Even the venerable NY Times likely has a couple of facts wrong:
(1) Traveller
(2) 2008 model year
Ed – we actually posted this Yesterday.
wow.. where is the cubby knee thing from? That looks really cool, is it as expensive as the parcel shelf?
Ha ha!
I thought you’d like that, Aaron. You said you wanted to sponsor some posts! So there you go. What’s a call-in to the podcast worth to ya? 😉 Glove box organizer? Ha ha!
<blockquote>wow.. where is the cubby knee thing from? That looks really cool, is it as expensive as the parcel shelf?</blockquote>
You haven’t been able to order the Euro “Cubby” Knee Bolster in the US since mid-2003. I got mine for $60 from someone who managed to order two of them. The “cubby” doesn’t offer much storage space, but I can put my wallet and garage door opener in it which is good enough for me.
Maaan! That is like a two horsepower upgrade! Now what am I gonna do! Now where am I gonna put my fire extinguisher?
I have not ever seen the parcel shelf… What does it look like? Could someone post a pic or provide a link? I have never had a problem with leg room, but then again I am 5ft 9. Might be a nice addition though…
Click on the DIY Link at the top of this webpage, then go to INTERIOR and look for Euro Driver Side Parcel Shelf. Phenty of photos and info.
The parcel shelf and the center console tray is a nice addition to my 04MC.
I like the litte rubber thingie that fits between the handbrake and the shifter that’s called the “Oddments Tray”, as I have plenty of oddments that seem to fit there, except the one in the drivers seat. 😉 Hope that doesn’t get outlawed. :):)
BCNU,
Rob in Dago