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Is there a synonym for "unique" that specifically applies to a custom-made or customized item - say, a car - of which only one copy exists?

Something like "once-in-a-lifetime" but in the meaning of something like "only-one-in-the-world"?

tchrist
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Pekka
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    Just combine the adjectives unique and custom-made to get: "a unique, custom-made car". There's no need for a single word, and I don't believe one exists. Would you ask for a single word that meant big and red, so you wouldn't have to put two adjectives on big, red house? – Peter Shor Mar 29 '14 at 16:30
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    Bespoke is the UK version, though it normally applies only to personally tailored clothing. – John Lawler Mar 29 '14 at 16:30
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    Bespoke or custom-made don't mean unique, although something that is bespoke (or custom-made) will quite likely be unique. – Peter Shor Mar 29 '14 at 16:32
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    One-off is used both adjectivally and nounally. At least in the UK. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 29 '14 at 17:28
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    @EdwinAshworth Yes, but one-off is a comparative newcomer to these cisatlantic shores. Previously it was strictly British, and still sounds somewhat foreign to my ears. The first OED citation is only from 1934, and all citations through the 1970s are strictly British. In America, it would be a one-of-a-kind widget. Sometimes, just a one-time thing works, too. There’s no working around the fact that unique has a unique meaning that has no one-word synonym in English, a word that’s truly sui generis in its uniquity. It’s the onliest word you’ll ever need, or have. :) – tchrist Mar 29 '14 at 17:38
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    In the US, custom as an adjective is often used to mean just that. – bib Mar 29 '14 at 17:47
  • Related: http://english.stackexchange.com/q/47013 http://english.stackexchange.com/a/118105 http://english.stackexchange.com/a/144840 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/110202 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/107490 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/113149 http://english.stackexchange.com/q/145236 – tchrist Mar 29 '14 at 18:02
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    John -- bespoke is very much used for cars (particularly British bespoke cars!) (you know, the German ones) and many other things, not just clothes. – Fattie Mar 30 '14 at 07:05
  • Peter - your second comment is unusual. You're asking does bespoke " ' mean ' " unique, or, is bespoke just the word that is used 100.00000% of the time, exactly and universally, in every commercial and private setting, by every single English speaker in every country (and indeed, additionally, every tourist shopper from China, Japan, etc! heh) to refer to, precisely, exactly, what the OP describes (where he happens to use "unique" in quotes, as well as other words, to try to describe what he is referring to). – Fattie Mar 30 '14 at 07:16
  • Speaking as a 72-year-old US citizen who has never visited England, "one-off" is probably the most familiar term, with "one-of-a-kind" maybe a hair more familiar, but that latter expression doesn't really capture the degree of uniqueness. "Bespoke" is familiar to most reasonably literate people in the US, but it's a bit pompous. – Hot Licks May 04 '22 at 20:08

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For the record the answer to the question "Is there a word for a unique manufactured item?" is "Yes." There are three terms:

One-off, custom, or bespoke.

All of these are used exactly, precisely, and commonly as you describe for exactly, precisely what you describe.

(Simply look on the web sites of companies that do precisely what you describe; whether custom car-makers in California, Mercedes' Designo workshop, Van Cleef on place vandome, or whatever.)

{Indeed it's hard to refer to, say, a custom kitchen maker, or a bespoke furniture studio, without using these common, well-known terms.}

(Sure, there are slight nuances of meaning and local favourites, but so what?)

Fattie
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Two suggestions:

  • One-of-a-kind

  • Prototype

Hugo
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  • But prototype suggests there will be more of the object, not necessarily but possibly the same. – Joachim May 04 '22 at 15:18
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Unicum is what you are looking for. According to Lexico:

a unique example or specimen.

Laurel
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DisplayName
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Since you mentioned cars, it's worth knowing that the phrase "concept car" is very close to what you're talking about. This is generally only used for motor vehicles, though. You might see "concept truck" or "concept bike," but not "concept suit" or "concept computer."

Phasma Felis
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    A concept car is an example of a custom-made item of which only one copy exists, but it's not the answer to the question. A concept car is a demonstration of what the company might be building in the future, to showcase new (or imagined) technology and styling. Most concept cars are unique but not all unique cars are concept cars. – David Richerby Dec 20 '14 at 12:04