The Legacy of Dana’s Hot Rod Shop™
Your source for ’70s-’90s hot rod merch, drag racing shirts, and more inspired by our history.
In the early 1960s, Henry Dana was a young drag racer racking up wins up and down the East coast. By 1968, Henry had claimed hundreds of wins, an AHRA National title, and a world drag racing record. After relocating to Florida in ‘69, he opened Dana’s Automatic Transmissions. In 1972, Action Speed Shop was born to fuel the performance needs of drag racers and hot rodders alike, and in ‘74, the first hot rod rolled out of the shop and on to the NSRA nationals in Memphis. By 1979, Action Speed Shop had become Dana’s Hot Rod Shop.
By the early 1980’s, Dana-built hot rods had become legendary, and so highly desired in the hot rod world, some customers waited as long as three years for their build to be completed. Along the way, countless awards were won, along with countless magazine features and covers. After twenty years of building award-winning hot rods, Henry quietly closed the shop and went to work for Penske Racing’s NASCAR division.
In 2001, Street Rod Builder magazine proclaimed Henry as “one of the best builders of the modern era of hot rods and street rods”, a compliment only shared with names like Brizio, Pete & Jake, Lobeck, and a select few others. The signature paint color used on all Dana-built cars had become known simply as “Dana Red”, and earned legendary status as the best looking, and most exclusive red paint to ever grace a hot rod.
Sadly, Henry passed in 2020. Never one to brag or boast, Henry always let his work do the talking. Today, we are proud to tell his story and share the designs inspired by the countless hot rods that rolled out of the shop. We’re also committed to improving and saving lives, and are donating a percentage of all DHRS sales to several non-profits that bring awareness to suicide prevention and mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. For free, confidential support 24/7, call 988, or text SAVE or HOME to 741741.
