If it makes you feel better you could think that you didn't really fight for the car but you fought for your principles and that you would have really regretted not doing anything instead.

Now does that mean it was smart? Fuck no. You didn't know if they had a weapon or a gun so you might as well have ended up at the morgue instead of lamenting your broken self esteem and finger.
Especially so considering it wasn't your car or anyone's that you knew for that matter.
And it was property damage so it might be covered by that guy's insurance even.