About Lola
Lola the Valiant was purchased by Carl Diana in Missoula, Montana on April 22, 1972 and remained with the Diana family until she finally broke down. She remained in the junk yard of Tony Diana until my neighbor, Paul Smith, purchased her and she sat on his property for another fifteen years. In January, 2014 Lola was purchased by my family and her restoration began and within the next year we rebuilt her engine, had a new interior installed, repaired the electrical and returned her to the road.
Lola's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) - VL41C2R***** indicates that her "place of birth"was the Chrysler assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. That is what the "R" means. The "V" stands for Valiant, "L" is the price class, "41" is the body type (4 dr. sedan), "C" is the engine displacement (225), and the "2" means she is a 1972 model year.
Lola's broadcast sheet (order form found in the back seat when it was reupholstered) states that she was originally all one color - "V2" - like the Valiant used in Steven Spielberg's "The Duel". The color code has two different names - Dodge calls it "Hemi Orange", while Plymouth named it "Tor-Red Irid". Somewhere along the line she picked up a white top.
Chrysler's official marketing literature for 1972 model year states that "Our 4 door Valiant has been a pacesetter in the economy field for over 10 years now. And it still has the roomy interior, rugged construction, and proven economy it is known for. Options include an air conditioner for cool comfort and an AM or AM/FM radio for cool sounds."
Chrysler's 1972 Chassis Service Manual gives specs for Lola of 186.6" (15.55 ft.) in length, 71.1"(5.9 ft.) in width, with a 108" (9 ft.) wheel base. She had a 225 Slant 6 with a single barrel carb, that held 4 quarts of oil and a 16 gallon (US) fuel tank.
Her original bill of sale states that she was sold to Carl Diana on April 22, 1972. The dealership was 93 Chrysler - Plymouth, in Missoula, Montana. The Lola's initial total cash price was $2,752., and Mr. Diana traded in a used car worth $352., to cut her final cost to $2,400. The salesman's name was Walter J. Schriver.