Though it's idiosyncratic, it seems to me that the concept of 
coordinating conjunctions might explain this more elegantly.

Both pickup trucks and sedans are sold in some areas of California.

Either pickup trucks or sedans are sold in some areas of California.

I understand that

(a) *more* can be adj., adv., or noun and *than* is typically a 
conjunction or preposition,  and

(b)  "more . . . than" specifies a difference in quantity that "both . . 
. and" and "either . . . or" do not.

However, together, "more . . . than" seems to function the same way as 
the coordinating conjunctions.

So I posit that *than* promotes *more* - functionally - to the status of 
a conjunction.


Jeanne Rodgers wrote:
> How is "than" functioning in the following sentence, as a subordinating conjunction introducing an unconventionally placed  ellipitical clause or as a preposition?
>
> More pickup trucks than sedans are sold in some areas of California.
>
> Jeanne Rodgers
> CSU, Sacramento
>   

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