The car in question is a 1993 Audi 80. It was parked in a Tesco parking bay with handbrake on and left in 1st gear. It was hit from the front by an elderly driver who attempted to park in a bay in front of the Audi but floored the gas pedal instead of the brake and pushed the Audi back several feet into another parked car on the opposite side of the carpark - the driver continuing to hit several more cars before coming to a stop!!! The Audi is a non starter as the front end is caved in, bursting the radiator and pushing it forward into the engine.
Anyway, with it being an old car I'm sure it will be written off as uneconomical to repair. If it's a case of panels, lights, radiator then we would like to buy back the car from the insurers and fix it ourselves as it was immaculate pre-accident condition. I just wanted to know if there likely to be any gearbox damage if the car was left in forward 1st gear but forced backwards about 15 feet.