AMC IMPOSES HIRING FREEZE DUE TO TAKEOVER BID American Motors Corp <AMO> management has ordered a hiring freeze in view of Chrysler Corp's <C> 1.5 billion dlr takeover bid, a spokesman for AMC said. Analysts said the merger is virtually certain to go ahead. American Motors directors met for five hours Wednesday to review the takeover proposal. "The board ... Expects to be meeting periodically over the next several weeks on the Chrysler proposal," AMC said in its first formal statement since it acknowledged the Chrysler proposal on Monday. Chrysler, the number three U.S. Automaker, has said the merger is motivated principally by its desire to acquire AMC's profitable Jeep business and dealers, as well as a new modern car assembly plant in Bramalea, Ontario. That means a guaranteed future for much of AMC, but it leaves in question the fate of many of its 19,000-plus employees, according to industry analysts. AMC's Toledo, Ohio Jeep plant has 1,850 hourly workers on indefinite layoff while its Kenosha, Wisconsin, car plant has another 2,250 on layoff.