Rolls-Royce has inaugurated the Eric Platford Testway at its headquarters in Goodwood, marking a new investment in the brand’s approach to luxury, quality and refinement.
Rolls-Royce Eric Platford Testway
Rolls-Royce says the new test center advances its pursuit of perfection while strengthening its exacting approach to quality and refinement. The facility is named after Eric Platford, who served as Sir Henry Royce’s Chief Tester.
Platford is considered one of the most influential figures in Rolls-Royce’s early history. His expertise helped establish the automaker’s reputation for engineering excellence, while his driving skills also helped the brand secure a win during the 1913 Spanish Grand Prix.
Testing Chassis, Suspension and Interior Components
The Eric Platford Testway allows Rolls-Royce engineers to test vehicles through a range of inputs affecting the chassis, suspension, body structure and interior components in a highly controlled environment.
The facility features four parallel lanes, each measuring 295 feet long. Each lane is covered with different surfaces designed to expose vehicles to varying conditions, with every car driven across the different surfaces twice at a fixed speed.
Rolls-Royce describes the test surfaces as including:
- Small and large cobblestone sections designed to identify potential rattles and assess ride composure.
- Random Concrete Waves with expansion joints at 7.9-foot intervals to introduce vertical variation.
- Angled “Twist Humps” designed to apply torsional load through opposing axle movement.
- Paired “Railway Tracks” generating sequential front and rear axle inputs.
- Alternating circular iron covers used to assess asymmetric response.
- Sine Waves with corrugations measuring 0.5 inches in height and spaced 11.8 inches apart, producing high-frequency resonance.
Controlled Aero-Acoustic Testing
Before vehicles enter the Eric Platford Testway, they must pass through an aero-acoustic chamber designed to test wind-noise intrusion into the cabin.
The chamber uses high-pressure, variable-speed air jets mounted on a movable gantry. According to Rolls-Royce, the setup also allows vehicles to be tested at speeds exceeding the UK national speed limit of 70 mph.
The new Goodwood testing facility gives Rolls-Royce a controlled environment for evaluating vehicle behavior across different road surfaces and testing conditions as the brand continues its focus on luxury, quality and refinement.
