Urgent update - car information requested

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Our car, our newly imported 11-year- old car, seems to be having some engine difficulty. When I took it to the mechanic yesterday, he said he wouldn't even drive the car off the lot. Turns out, the car has not been keeping oil in its proper place. Just a month ago, I put two liters of oil into the car. Yesterday, at the mechanic's shop, he pulled up a dry dipstick. Now, I could be a sucker, and that was some magic mechanic's trick, but everything looked normal to me. What's more, there were no explosions or sudden movements off to one side, so I don't think he was trying to pull anything. I think the engine truly had no oil, one month after filling the oil tank.

He was probably being slightly euphamistic when he said he wouldn't drive the car off the lot, but driving a car with no oil seems like a bad idea, even to a junior mechanic like myself. The mechanic insisted that the engine would need an overhaul - replacement of rings, pistons, etc. or that I would have to check the oil level every time I drove. I think he's probably telling the truth, but I am seeking input from the blogosphere for assurance.

Here's the data on the car:

1994 Toyota Corolla, 104,000 miles. Runs great, but there's some kind of shaking noise on acceleration. If any my relatives, and an Uncle R. in particular (currently residing in Hawaii) has any input on this, I'd be glad to know. The estimate isn't unbearable, but certainly enough to make me want to get this correct.

Thanks.