By Tyler Rampersaud – September 16, 2026
Rolls-Royce Opens A New Testing Facility
Besides its elegant design, sumptuous materials, and bespoke artisan craftsmanship, Rolls-Royce is known for creating vehicles with impressive engineering and quality. As the ultra-luxury automotive manufacturer continues to improve its Goodwood home, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has strengthened its commitment to quality with the inauguration of its new Eric Platford Testway. The new dedicated facility has been made for on-site final validation of completed cars, with a controlled environment that precisely measures the integrity of a finished car. Especially focusing on the chassis, suspension, body structure, and interior components of the car, the testway offers repeatable conditions for the cars to be subjected to. The surfaces include cobblestone sections, ‘Random Concrete Waves’ for vertical elevation, ‘Twist Humps’ for torsional load, ‘Railway Tracks’ that are paired for sequential front and rear axle inputs, alternating circular iron covers, small ‘Sine Waves’ that offer high-frequency resonance, and smooth tarmac. Either end of the testway features turning areas that help test the stability of loose items in the cabin in a roundabout, for example. The testing facility was named after Eric Platford, Sir Henry Royce’s first chief tester. Alongside his vehicle development role, Platford also used his skill and judgement to help Don Carlos de Salamanca, one of the most important early clients of Rolls-Royce, win the 1913 Spanish Grand Prix. Platford is one of the most influential names in Rolls-Royce’s early history, and his legacy inspires the purpose of the testway today. <- Gallery -> Before taking on the new Eric Platford Testway, Rolls-Royce vehicles are subject to an aero-acoustic chamber to test wind noise, and engineers will continue to test vehicles on a traditional 13-mile route on the local roads surrounding the Goodwood Home of Rolls-Royce. The official opening of the testway was done by The High Sheriff of West Sussex, Mr Gary Shipton, DL, who commented, “It was an enormous privilege to officially open the new Eric Platford Testway at the Home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood where more than 2,500 people are employed. The Testway is testament to the expertise of Rolls-Royce engineers and it was a pleasure to meet them and to understand the considerable research and technical innovation that has made it possible.” With a historic commitment to quality and sound engineering, the new Eric Platford Testway is an important step in the future of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. View All Rolls-Royce For Sale Image Source: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars