Not to be confused with British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited The British Motor Syndicate Limited (BMS) was a company formed in November 1895 by company promoter and entrepreneur Harry Lawson, who years later was imprisoned 12 months for fraud in a separate matter. Lawson's aim was to use BMS to raise funds from the public to establish a business with a monopoly on petrol-driven cars by acquiring as many as possible patents related to such vehicles from Gottlieb Daimler, his business associates, and other sources.