Saab, which earned a loyal following over six decades with its stylish but idiosyncratic cars, failed to attract the buyer it needed most  a new owner for the company  leaving General Motors little choice but to announce Friday that it would shut down the brand.

Bigger car companies, which have been struggling with steep losses of their own, showed no interest because Saab was too small even though the brand is well regarded.

The last hope for Saab, which General Motors took control of in 1990, had been Spyker Cars, a tiny Dutch maker of high-end sports cars.

But some G.M. officials said that Spyker’s reliance on Russian financing for the Saab deal was a major factor in its decision to walk away.