I think the early cars had no side markers at all, front or back.
This was barely a production car, earliest serial number within a test batch of 12. They were being assembled for the big press reveal in early 1977 . (Porsche started the 928 series with 00011, like for the 914 series ). Not everything had been worked-out yet.
The Pascha is an optical art pattern, not a checker flag per se, but a optical illusion variation. That's how I think of it, at least. (Paul Champaign has recreated it by lasering into leather seat fabric -- very cool).
Jim and I looked over the car pretty closely and believe the fender damage is pretty much limited to the sheet metal. It didn't seem to mess up the hood and bolt line at all.
