By Tiffanie Petett

Setorii Pond and grandmother Jo Rose (Pond) pose in front of cars from The Pond Collection. (Photo by Jeff Linett)

One of Palm Springs’ greatest hidden gems, the Pond Collection of 110 exotic and classic automobiles is a rare showcasing of cars where you can see an assortment of Classic Cars, Antique Cars, Exotic Cars, Movie Cars, former Concourse Cars, Race Cars, Indy Cars, Custom Hot Rod Cars, plus many more.

This collection that started from a personal passion is now online, making its public debut.

Bob Pond was born in May of 1924 in Edina, Minnesota.  He started collecting cars when he was a kid.  He always had three cars when he needed one, six cars when he needed two, and today he has amassed over 100 cars.  Robert Pond was an avid lover of both aviation and cars, and the car collection is housed in multiple car garages.  The nostalgia added to the growing passion of his collecting.  Each car is significant because it carries a story with it, and the history behind the how and why of the creation was something Bob loved.  Through the years Bob Pond also enjoyed going to car auctions and car shows to acquire different cars, which he added or traded to the collection. As a family, Bob, Jo, and Setorii would exercise the cars every day.  This hobby was something both he and his granddaughter Setorii Pond together shared in.

Jo Rose (Pond) in front of a car from The Pond Collection (Photo by Jeff Linett)

Through the years the collection has included cars such as a Chrysler Airflow, 1935; a 1948 Tucker; Vector W-8; Cobra; many Rolls Royces, such as our Rolls Royce Phantom 1, that go back to the ’30s; Packards from the ’30s, a 1931 coupe, 1934 convertible, Victory convertible; a 1941 Lincoln convertible, a 1937 convertible; 1946 convertible; a 1956 Continental Mark II.  Also in the collection are Maseratis, Lamborghinis, a 57 Chevy Bel-Air, Corvettes, and several Thunderbirds. There are also race cars in the collection, one of which is a 1968 that came in second at the Indy 500, driven by Dan Gurney; a 1981 Eagle; and the #88 Nissan that won 8 of the 10 races it entered in 1988.  All of the cars are exercised daily and are in amazing condition. The Ponds still carry the enthusiasm, and today their collection contains one of the most diverse arrays of automotive vehicles assembled.

About the House & Family: Robert and Jo Pond, the Grandparents

“They built and created the property and the house about 24 years ago and it took about 4 years. The estate is called ‘Ponderosa.’  The name symbolizes my grandfather’s last name, Pond, and my grandmother’s last name, Rose.  We have had so many events, galas, charity events, and so on, held at the house through the years.  We have had so many different people, from the former President to Hollywood celebrities, such as Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Conner, Tony Curtis, and so on, stay at the house. For my 21st birthday I had a masquerade ball outdoors under the stars for about 600 people. It was lavish, Victorian, and beautiful; and for my grandfather’s 80th birthday my grandmother had a truly unique ‘Great Gatsby’ theme.  It was very flapper, filled with costumes, dancers, and a huge orchestra. Countless car events and car tours have been held there; and a few charity events we have had there benefited MS, cancer, and rescuing animals.

“I plan to have a truly unique fashion show held at the house with all of the cars parked along the driveway with models walking up and down the longest catwalk.  (The estate is 14 acres.)  My grandma and I are continuing the collection, and I’m working on numerous projects including the cars!” –Setorii Pond

Check out the fashion editorials:  “Setorii” and “The Ponderosa”