There's not really one book to handle the whole thing, it's an interdisciplinary microcosm of engineering.<p>- Internal combustion engines and associated drive trains<p>- Electric motors, batteries, electric transmissions.<p>- Vehicle dynamics and the wacky world of suspension and Tyre mechanics<p>- Vehicle body and crash structures<p>- Vehicle electronics and infotainment<p>- Ergonomics (seat design and driver position in particular is pretty interesting)<p>- glass house design (how do you design pillars while also giving good driver visibility and
The <i>Bosch Automotive Handbook</i>, now in its tenth English-language edition, is the standard one-volume reference. Older, but still useful, are Garrett et al., <i>The Motor Vehicle</i>, and U.S. Army TM 9-8000, <i>Principles of Automotive Vehicles</i>. There are also many books on specific subjects, such as Limpert, <i>Brake Design and Safety</i>, or Hoag & Dondlinger, <i>Vehicular Engine Design</i>.<p>If you’re more interested in servicing, I’d strongly recommend the automakers’ paper or electronic workshop manuals and training materials: for newer, more sophisticated models, these may be the only source of the information needed for safe, effective repairs and maintenance.<p>There are also textbooks published for use in community colleges, and works such as the Honda <i>Common Service Manual</i>, which was written for motorcycle and power equipment technicians but has a good deal of information applicable to full-size vehicles.
I've enjoyed the video course from How a Car Works [1]. They assemble a complete car from scratch, so you get to hear and learn about pretty much every component.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.howacarworks.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.howacarworks.com</a>
What aspect of cars? If it’s working on them I’d recommend a workshop/haynes manual and just getting stuck in. There’s also loads of great stuff on YouTube (but of course that’s not a book)