The ignition was in the floor. It had a rear hatchback, not a trunk. The hood was hinged at the front, so it opened away from the windshield. And many of its owners  including Jerry Seinfeld’s character on his long-running sitcom  were intensely loyal.

Auto enthusiasts across the country were dismayed by the news Friday that General Motors was planning to shut down Saab, the Swedish carmaker it bought two decades ago, after a deal to sell it fell apart.

Even with its modest and steadily declining sales, Saab long stood out as a powerful brand in spite of itself.

Image New Saab automobiles are shown leaving the factory in Trollhaettan, Sweden, last month. Credit... Casper Hedberg/Bloomberg

“It wasn’t designed to be a fashion statement,” said Ron Pinelli, president of Autodata, which tracks industry statistics. “It was designed to provide transportation under miserable weather conditions.”