SARB was an auto repair base in the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk that, under director I.N. Golovatin, built prototype fiberglass-bodied cars called Zarya in the mid-1960s, possibly named after the Voroshilovgrad football club. Plans existed to put the car into series production using components from the GAZ-21 Volga, since the plant had already managed to build a small batch of similarly constructed Start minibuses with fiberglass body panels and Volga running gear. Series production of the Zarya never began.
The Zarya itself dates to 1966, with four examples reportedly built, though the exact number is uncertain. It combined a fiberglass body with GAZ-21 Volga components, and its design was the work of artist Yu. Andros. According to some accounts, all the cars built were given to outstanding workers in the plant's production line. A four-door sedan version may also have existed alongside the coupe.
The coupe measured 5,050 mm long, with a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels and a top speed of 130 km/h. It used the ZMZ-21A inline four-cylinder gasoline engine of 2,445 cc with 8 overhead valves, producing 75 hp (55 kW) at 4,000 rpm, paired with a three-speed manual gearbox. Front suspension was independent and spring-based, while the rear used a dependent leaf-spring setup, with hydraulic drum brakes front and rear, a 12-volt electrical system, and 6.70-15 tires.
