Borneo Motors Singapore celebrates its 100th anniversary in Singapore with a host of festivities
For 100 years, Borneo Motors Singapore (BMS) has been shaping Singapore’s roads and redefining mobility. Founded in 1925, it now represents Toyota, Lexus and Hino and keeps moving forward with purpose.
Apart from a fresh new logo and a change in corporate branding to better reflect its future direction, a few new Lexus and Toyota models (the LBX Urbanite pictured above, Noah Hybrid and Corolla Cross Hybrid), as well as lifestyle and community-building initiatives with Bynd Artisan pictured below, Pâtisserie Clé pictured below, Superga and Grab, were also announced.
Speaking at the celebration on Aug 20, managing director Ng Khee Siong (pictured in main image) reflected on the company’s journey, adding: “To stand at the start of our second century is an important moment of reflection and pride for Borneo Motors Singapore. For 100 years, we have not just sold vehicles, we have also empowered journeys, connected lives, and driven the nation forward, by and for generations of Singaporeans. As we look ahead, our vision is clear — to continue redefining mobility, championing innovation, and fostering a sustainable future for all.”
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However, more interesting to Options was the transformation of the Toyota and Lexus showrooms into the BMS100 Museum from Aug 20 to Dec 29. This immersive showcase is designed to honour BMS’s century-long journey of growth together with Singapore, as it invites visitors to take a walk down memory lane to see how it all unfolded.
The historical timeline from 1925 to 2025 features a series of experiential touchpoints, as guests appreciate the heritage, innovation and community-building of BMS’s pivotal role as a part of Singapore’s automotive landscape.
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A big milestone in BMS’s enduring success was securing the Toyota franchise in 1967 (it would introduce Singapore to the Lexus brand in 1992), as it hit the ground running and would later emerge as the top seller in 1981. The Toyota Crown Taxi, which has been such a familiar sight on Singapore roads for many of us old ’uns, allowed BMS to capture over 40% market share when BMS first introduced it in 1982. By 1985, this would grow to 50%.
The company dug deep and pulled out the very last Toyota Crown Taxi in 2014 from the SMRT Corporation, in addition to the Taximeters from the 1930s. The latter was a device BMS first introduced as an experimental tool for taxis to address overcharging and issues with pirate taxis, which also became mandatory for all taxis by the end of 1953.
Another piece of history included symbolic artefacts like the Kabuto, a samurai helmet that Toyota presented to BMS in 1988 to mark the latter’s first Triple Crown Award. This highest accolade from Toyota Motor Corporation is awarded to authorised distributors that top sales in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, as well as for the overall automotive market.
Since the launch of the first Prius in 2001 in Singapore, hybrid vehicles have become an integral part of the Toyota and Lexus model line-ups. To better illustrate the inner workings of Toyota’s self-charging full hybrid system to visitors, BMS worked with the Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering to present a hybridised Corolla Cross that was cut in half.
An interactive Surface Pro was installed to demonstrate the seamless energy flows between the hybrid battery and petrol engine during acceleration, cruising and braking, with regenerative braking recharging the battery. Through its intelligent Battery Management System, Toyota’s hybrid system enables over 60% of journeys to be driven on electric power.
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The festivities are not just limited to the hard products, but feature some soft elements as well. To honour a century of craftsmanship and to celebrate two brands with a deep heritage for artisanal work, Lexus presents an exclusive Lexus x Bynd Artisan BMS100 Car Key Folio. Limited to just 200 pieces, 100 of these will go to buyers of the Special Edition LBX, while the remaining 100 will be offered to Lexus owners during the BMS100 celebratory Open House.
Existing owners have not been left out in the cold either. BMS has rolled out a lifetime assurance campaign on selected Lexus and Toyota models to celebrate its 100th anniversary by offering a 100-month engine and transmission protection plan, 100 months hybrid battery warranty, 100 months servicing and 100 months road tax rebate.
