Mildred Mary Petre (10 November 1895 – 21 May 1990) was a British record-breaking racing motorist, speedboat racer and aviator in the 1920s and 1930s, and later, successful businesswoman.

In 1911, aged 15, she began her passion for motor vehicles by riding her brother's Matchless motorcycle, travelling around Osterley, west London, with her collie dog Laddie in the sidecar, wearing a red bow on his collar to match those on her plaits.

[6]: 28–31  In 1920, she purchased her first car, an Enfield-Allday, and was prosecuted many times for speeding, including three days running at Bow Street Magistrates' Court.

After travelling 1,700 miles (2,700 km) in 72 hours without sleeping, she finished sixth overall, and won the Coupe des Dames, for the women's class.

[8] On 28 January 1927, she departed Monte Carlo on an 8,000-mile (13,000 km) endurance trial through Italy, Sicily, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, and France.

They drove through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and finally planted a Union Jack about 250 miles (400 km) north of the Arctic Circle.

A. Joyce, started a 10-day endurance record in fog at Montlhéry, driving an AC Six fitted with a racing screen but minus roof, mudguards and lights.

She purchased a Blackburn Bluebird IV (registered 'G-ABDS') with a de Havilland Gipsy II engine from Auto-Auctions Ltd. in Burlington Gardens, London,[16] in July 1930.

An oil leak caused a forced landing on the shore of the Persian Gulf, where she was sheltered for two days by Baluchi tribesmen before a British rescue party reached her.

Torrential monsoon rains forced a landing in a jungle clearing beside the Mekong River; she contracted malaria and her flight was further delayed.

Her flight across North America was not without incident: an undercarriage failure on landing at Medford, Oregon, caused extensive damage and another week's delay.

On 20 February 1931, she was given an aerial escort by Amy Johnson, Winifred Spooner and others to Croydon Airport, where a reception of press and celebrities awaited her.

[22] In July 1932, Bruce purchased a Saro Windhover amphibious aircraft (G-ABJP), named it City of Portsmouth, and had the undercarriage temporarily removed.

During August 1932, over the Solent, she used the two aircraft in three failed attempts to break the world flight-refuelled endurance record by flying non-stop for four weeks.

[4][19] On 7 August 1934, Bruce founded Commercial Air Hire Ltd., that immediately started newspaper delivery flights between Croydon and Paris, using two DH.84 Dragons.

[21][24][25] In late 1936, she sold two of the DH.84 Dragons for a large amount of cash to a mystery man, and they were covertly exported for use in the Spanish Civil War.

[3] British television presenter Carol Vorderman named her plane 'Mildred' after Bruce, calling her "my heroine [and]... one of the most incredible women of the last century".