The big stories from the past week in motor sport from the Archive.

Colin Chapman died 33 years ago, a man remembered most for being a revolutionary designer and team manager. But as Gordon Cruickshank pointed out in the December 2001 issue of Motor Sport, he couldn’t have done that without being a talented driver in his own right.

One of only two drivers to win in the World Rally Championship behind the wheel of the Renault 5 Turbo was born this week. Joaquim Moutinho, now 64, took us through his one win, at home in Portugal, and why he couldn’t join the boycott.

A man who has a fair few more WRC wins to his name also celebrated a birthday: Sébastien Ogier. Two years ago, and two world titles ago, he was subjected to Simon Arron’s spotlight.

Paul Tracy shares the same birthday, and he joined Simon Taylor for lunch to discuss his vast and successful career in 2014. An Indy 500 victor of an earlier vintage was also born this week, 1931 winner Louis Schneider.

Staying in America, but on two wheels, Fast Freddie Spencer celebrates his 54th birthday on December 20. He was a double champion in the same year, the likes of which will never be seen again according to Mat Oxley.

Clay Regazzoni was killed in a car crash just nine years ago. Alan Henry profiled the ‘sometimes theatrical, sometimes stubborn, sometimes brilliant’ Regazzoni in 2001.

It may be mid-December, but the racing season was only about to begin in South America in 1949. Villoresi beat Ascari and Farina in Argentina, and “Bira” ended up with a broke bone in his foot after braking too hard…